I’ve wanted to change my user name from leeoliphant.wordpress.com to gardenwithchickens.wordpress.com for some time. In order to do this, I had to transfer my entries. If you enjoyed this garden and chicken site, please search out my new one. All new entries will occur there. Please bookmark http://gardenwithchickens.wordpress.com or add it to your links, and…………..visit me often!
Food, water, and a mirror. What else do chicks need?
Chicks grow from tiny fluffy balls to egg-laying hens in five months. It is amazing how their little bodies turn chicken feed into feathers, muscle, and energy. It is important that they’re fed the highest quality feed to meet their needs. While we feed our hens scraps from the kitchen and a handful of cracked corn each day to supplement their diet (and make them happy), we were careful to have the chicks stick to the recommended diet (with a few healthy exceptions).
Feed companies spend millions researching and preparing mixtures that provide optimum support for growing chicks. Most feed stores carry the proper mix for your young chicks. It is called “starter”. It should have sufficient protein, carbohydrates, and thirteen vitamins to support growth. Vitamins will help chicks build strong bones and healthy blood cells, and fats to provide energy and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Unless you wish to feed a vegetarian diet to your animals, don’t try to mix your own feed. Use a commercial chick starter for the first 6-8 weeks.
Commercial feed comes with medication to prevent the dreaded coccidiosis, an intestinal disease that interferes with nutrient absorption. You shouldn’t need a medicated starter if you raise your chicks before warm, humid weather allows coccidia to flourish. Your decision of whether or not you choose to use a medicated starter for chicks should be based on the size of your flock (a handful of chicks raised in a clean brooder are less likely to be infected) and the condition of the environment. If you have no adverse feelings about using medication in food and want to be on the safe side, I recommend you use the medicated starter. If you are raising poultry for meat, there are “natural” commercial feeds available.
Even chicks like treats. From about a week on, we gave our chicks some treats each day, to keep them active, and to relieve boredom. Yes, even little minds get bored. They were fed tiny portions of shredded apples, a cooked egg yolk, a pinch of oatmeal sprinkled in their litter, and a bug or two we brought in from outdoors. Do not supplement their diet to the extent that they ignore their food. This could bring on ill health.
At about six weeks you can slowly introduce a “grower” mixture into your chick feed. This feed will help them put on weight that hens need to begin laying and that fryers need to be……well, to be eaten.
Waterer with pebbles and electrolyte
Water is such an important part of a chick’s diet. I just can’t ignore it in my writing about feed. When chicks first arrive, they often have been without water for 1-3 days. Their little bodies have been living off the yolk sac that was absorbed into their bodies before hatching. When you bring your chicks home, give them a little water with an eyedropper or fingertip. A drop or two will revive them. Some people use a mixture of a few tablespoons of sugar in the water for the first few days to give the chicks energy and encourage hydration. Even chicks like sweets. Show them where the waterer is located in the brooder and dip each beak into it so they will know where to go when they are thirsty.
If you are worried about dehydration, commercial electrolytes (available in feed stores) can be added to the water the first week. Beware, this mixture can make chicks hyperactive so use it for a few days only, then fill waterers with fresh water.
For a handful of chicks, inexpensive feeders and waters with quart jars attached can be used until the chicks are ready for their permanent home outdoors. If you use cedar chips in the bottom of your brooder, you may want to raise the waterer up an inch or two (no further than shoulder height of your chicks) on a paver, as the chips tend to get in the waterer, preventing the chicks from access to drinking properly. We put little pebbles in the waterer to prevent the chicks from standing (and invariably pooping) in it. It is essential that they have fresh, clean water at all times to prevent diseases. This requires constant monitoring.
Scrub the feeders and waterer once a week with bleach. Keep the brooder clean and feed your chicks quality food. Healthy chicks are happy chicks. It seems like overnight these precious little birds turn into beautiful egg-layers.
Before we brought our six chicks home last spring, we readied a box for them. This was to be their brooder for the next few weeks. It was equipped with a feeder, waterer, and a heat lamp to keep them warm. It was set up in our living room where the chicks could be handled daily and I could monitor their well-being.
I had been reading nightmare stories posted on the backyardchicken.com forum about mishaps in the early days of the lives of chickens. People were devastated by the chick morality rate and I was determined to give my chicks a good start. Most chicks are shipped through the postal service to either private residences or to farm supply stores where they are put in large brooders or in stacked cages called battery brooders. A reputable hatchery does not ship less than 25 chicks in a box. Chicks bodies, huddling together in the shipping box, is their only source of heat. Much of the loss of life of young chicks occurs in the shipping process where the day-olds are shipped in a cold environment or in some cases, a heat wave occurs in route and they die of heat prostration. If your chicks are being shipped through the mail, ask the local post office to notify you by phone as soon as they arrive so that you can immediately pick up your shipment.
If you are getting a small number of chicks, keeping them warm in your brooder can be quite simple. You can heat your brooder with a goose-necked lamp equipped with light bulb. Set this up ahead of time and experiment with a thermometer. The inside of the brooder should be 95° under the lamp where the chicks will huddle when they a chilled. I was never able to get the temperature up to the 95 degrees required for young chicks with a 100-150 watt bulb so we purchased a heat lamp with a metal hood and porcelain socket. These are the safest. Do not hang it over the brooder by its cord, rather hang it from above by a chain. Our heat lamp came with a clamp and we attached it to a pole lamp where we could raise and lower it as needed. We used a red version of the heat lamp as it throws less light and supposedly is less stimulating. Over-stimulated chicks sometimes get into the disgusting habit of picking the feathers off one another.
Chicks should be kept at around 95° for the first week of life. At the end of that week, you will notice feathers beginning to grow at the the edges of their wings. By the second week, you can reduce the temperature in the brooder to 90° and another 5° every week until you reach 70°. At this time the chicks are usually fully feathered and ready to to be put in an outdoor environment with only supplemental heat as necessary.
Chicks will often indicate when they are uncomfortable in the environment. Huddling together often means they are trying to stay warm. Staying away from the heat source, often means it has become too warm. Planning and preparation is the key to success here. Get chicks when you are ready for them and you’ll lessen the possibility of disappointed.
We’re getting ready for a series of storms that are supposedly heading our way. I say supposedly because the forecaster often predicts rain, and many times, only a few drops will appear. Remember, this is California, the land of sunshine. We need rain badly but I dread storms. Our property is surrounded by old pines. Some of them have died and will certainly come down if the conditions are right.
Living along the coast, a storm means “high winds and surf”. Wind usually means that more than a few 200 foot Monterey pines will topple, damaging homes and leaving us without power. Last winter one of the dead pines on adjacent open space fell on our “far corner ” fence. My husband spent days repairing it the best we could. Storms mean we can go without power for up to a week. If I don’t post for a few days, you’ll know why.
Right now, I’m consumed about writing about chickens. I’m posting a series of articles on caring for chicks. Last spring we bought 6 chickens of various breeds. They are now great layers and great pets. The fertilizer has made my soil rich and full of worms. I hope some of you, who are holding back, will get inspired and think about a “backyard chicken project”. Chickens are entertaining and their eggs are unbelievably delicious.
When chicks are newly hatched, they have some basic requirements. If chicks are not being raised by a hen, “the humans” will have to provide them with all the things a hen would give them. When we brought our “less than three-day-old chicks” home from the farm supply store, they were tiny fluff balls with no hovering hen to watch out for them. They needed to be kept warm, help in finding food and water, and protection from predators. Humans were in charge of all that.
Chicks, whether being raised by a hen or humans, have five basic needs:
- heat
- food and water
- adequate space
- freedom from drafts
- safety from predators
Raising a handful of chicks for your backyard hen project requires some basic investment in equipment. Because the chicks are housed in something called a “brooder” for the first weeks of their lives, you will need to buy or build a place where chicks can thrive until they are ready to be put outside (at about 9-10 weeks, depending on your climate) in a coop or a henhouse.
There are directions everywhere on how to make homemade brooders. We used a 2′x3′x3″ plastic tray set inside a wood surround for the first 3 weeks the chicks were with us. We kept this in the living room of our home (yes, you heard me right) until the chicks could be moved to the garage. Not everyone wants a chick brooder in their house but I wanted to get to know these chicks and to handle them so that when they grew up, they would be not only egg-layers but also pets. When the chicks were ready to be moved to the garage, we borrowed a larger brooding pen (about 4′x4′ with 24″ wood sides and a wire lid) where the chicks lived until they could be put outside in their permanent coop.
Brooders can be exotic or as simple as you want, and chicks are not particular if you keep in mind their basic needs. Brooders can be a large plastic container with wire on top or even a large cardboard box will do. You will need about 6 square inches of space per chick until they are 2 weeks of age, then you will have to increase that to a square foot for each chick. We went slightly larger than the minimum requirement just because it seemed the “right thing to do”. But don’t make your brooder too large or your chicks may find it hard to stay warm.
We used a towel on the floor of the brooder for the first few days so that the chicks would have something to “grip” with their tiny feet. After that I used newspaper with cedar shavings on top. The chicks loved scratching through the shaving as if they were out in the garden foraging for food.
Make your brooder before you chick arrive. Set it up and test it with a thermometer so that you know it stays in the 95-100 degree range. When your chicks come home, show them where the water and food is. Dip their little beaks into the water once or twice as they will be dehydrated from their journey. Let them settle in and enjoy their company.
There has been a movement in recent years to raise a few chickens in the backyards of both city and suburban dwellers. Producing your own eggs from a few hens, neatly tucked into your garden is a trend that I don’t think will go away. Why? It is fun and hens provide you with tasty fresh eggs that are downright addictive!
If you have been thinking about taking on this project, you might want to consider the following:
- Will they be a disturbance to neighbors?
- Is it legal in your community for you to have a small backyard flock?
- Will you have the time to keep their coop clean and tend them properly?
- Do you have the resources to build a sturdy and safe coop to protect hens from predators and dogs?
- Do you have the space required?
- How many hens will you be able to safely house?
A little research is in order before you go out and buy chicks.
We raised chicks from day-olds to hens this past year. They have provided us with hours of entertainment, fresh eggs each day, and fertilizer for our garden. It has been rewarding and fun.
For whatever reasons you have thought about getting chickens for your backyard project, start now in preparation. The chicks will be arriving at the feed stores soon and they are irresistible! Be prepared.
We got a half inch of rain yesterday and during the night, and I’m thrilled. I hear the chuckles rising across the U.S. as some of you sit in five feet of snow, while I get giddy over a half an inch of rain. I’m sorry that you suffer. I really am. I’ve always lived near the coast of California where severe weather is perhaps a rainy windstorm that takes out power for a few days, and I am spoiled. Our problems here are lack of water, not too much. We’ve had some pretty dry years, and water is a real concern.
I’m watching this misty rain (we call it “Seattle rain” because my husband, who was raised in Seattle, says that is how it rains there) and am hopeful we will not have a fifth year of drought. We are told the El Nino ocean conditions should jolt us out of our dry condition so that we gardeners can enjoy life again and the farmers in California can continue providing the nation with the finest fruits, vegetables and nuts possible.
So here’s hoping this rain continues and pushes our season total to date over 10 inches. It’s a good start!
I planted five pounds of rye grass seeds around the apple trees just before the first rains came. Not one seedling sprouted! Mind you, we do have hundreds of birds visiting our garden each day and 15 ot 20 quail who call our backyard home. But this is ridiculous! The place looks like the Sahara Dessert!
I was sure the seeds I’d bought were nonviable so I put them to the test. I counted 20 seeds onto a paper towel, dampened it, folded it in fourths, and placed it in a plastic ziplock bag. I put the packet into the pantry. When I checked it a week later, 18 of the seeds had sprouted. Ninety percent of the seeds were viable! Why hadn’t I gotten the lush grass orchard I’d envisioned?
I went back to the research I’d done years ago on “planting by the moon”.
No, it doesn’t mean I’m going to go outdoors in my nightgown and garden by the light of the moon. But I am going to pay attention to the moon phases as I go about my gardening chores the year. This is how the theory works.
The moon moves through a complete cycle every 29 days. For moon gardening purposes, this cycle is divided into four quarters or phases. The term “phase” refers to the moon’s apparent shape as viewed from earth during the month. To plant by the moon phases you will need an almanac or calendar, that lists the exact time and date of the moon phases.
Increasing Light (waxing) – New moon to full moon
The lunar month starts with the new moon, also called “the dark of the moon”. From the new moon to the first quarter and from the first quarter to the full moon, the moon appears to grow from nothing to a crescent and then to a full circle at mid-month. These are the increasing or waxing phases.
Examples of garden chores to do by the light of the moon:
- Repot and groom houseplants
- Sow seeds of plants that grow above ground
- Fertilize
- Graft fruit trees
- Plant evergreen and deciduous tree
Decreasing Light (waning) — Full moon to dark of the moon
The decreasing or waning phases are when the moon “shrinks” from the full moon down to the new moon (darkness). As the moon wanes during the 3rd and 4th quarters, this is a good time to prune plants, as the water table is diminishing and so less sap will flow out of the cut ends. The plants are said to orient themselves toward their roots, making this a favorable time for planting, transplanting and harvesting root crops in general. The 4th quarter is the most dormant period and is good for chores like weeding.
- Examples of garden chores to do by the dark of the moon:
- Plant bulbs Plant crops that grow below the ground, such as beets and carrots
- Cultivate weeds
- Plant biennials and perennials because they need strong roots
- Eliminate slugs
- Prune shrubs
How is sowing, transplanting and harvesting linked to phases of the moon? One theory is that during the light (waxing) of the Moon, sap is thought to flow more strongly, filling plants with vitality and energy, favoring the planting and harvesting of crops that mature above ground.
What the moon gardening movement currently lacks is a body of modern scientific work that validates its benefits. More information can be found at: www.gardeningbythemoon.com/, garden.lovetoknow.com, and for a free calendar with moon phases and a planting schedule: www.astrologie-info.com/mocal.
Snail photo on Flickr by Randy Son of Robert
If you have not found evidence of slugs and snails in your garden by now, believe me, they will be here soon. In our California coastal climate they live (and eat) throughout the year. They slide though the night on their slimy mucus-producing “foot”, leaving a shiny trail, and eating holes in leaves and along edges. When they encounter a newly sprouted seedling, it can disappear before your eyes.
The common brown snail, Helix aspersa and his slug cousin, Ariolimax reticulates are the likely voracious culprits as your garden warms and leaf damage is observed. Daffodil blossoms and tender strawberries are a favorite food of these nocturnal marauders as they come to life at night and on cloudy days. During the day, they hide in cool, moist areas of your garden.
There are a few techniques that will help you manage a snail/slug infestation. Keep your garden clear of debris that creates hiding places for snails. Boards, stones, weedy areas around tree trunks and dense ground cover, can shelter these slimy pests. Leaf mulch also attracts snails and slugs.
Traps for snails and slugs are sometimes effective. Boards, with runners beneath, can be laid on the ground under plants to provide a hiding place for snails and slugs. Lift and scrape the boards daily to remove critters. Barriers of copper flashing or screen can be applied to edges of vegetable beds or to trunks of trees.
Handpicking is effective in small gardens. Search with a flashlight after dark. As a last resort, poison bait can be sprinkled among vegetation. Some bait is dangerous to wildlife and pets so follow directions on the package. Some bait is safe for vegetable beds. Be prudent with its use!
For more information on controlling snails and slugs in your garden, visit www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html.
Slug photo on Flickr by Zemestor
Gardeners are dreamers. They spend much of their time visualizing the shape and colors that are sure to come. They plan, sketch, list, shop, organize and arrange for the future. The New Year is the time to take stock of your garden and make choices as to what you might do differently in the coming year.
This is about looking out of the windows of your home and seeing color, shade, dappled sunlight, and wildlife, and, with luck, a few vegetables in the south forty. Forty feet, that is.
Here are a few of my own gardening resolutions this year and in years past.
- I will plant fall bulbs before they begin sprouting.
- I will label my bulbs with stakes when I plant them.
- I will sprinkle wildflower seeds before the rains begin.
- I will plant only drought tolerant plants (unless I see something too perfect for words).
- I will not buy more plants than I can plant in the following week.
- I will not go the nursery to buy more plants until all ones I have are in the soil.
- I will not buy plants that I know nothing about.
- I will read the label before buying and before planting.
- I will pay cash for plants. All right then, I’ll pay off charges for plants on our credit card every month.
- I will reduce the number of potted plants on my deck.
- I will put plants that are presently in pots directly in the soil where they will be happier.
- I will clean my birdbaths twice a week. I don’t even clean my own tub every day.
- I will keep my hummingbird feeders full of nectar (unless they devour it in less than a week).
- I will weed each week beginning in January to avoid the rush of spring growth. Remember, this is California!
- I will ask for help lifting anything over forty pounds and for digging anything larger than a 2 gallon container.
- I will plant new plants in holes only as deep as the depth of the potted roots. No need to dig to China.
- As my plants grow and flourish, I will prune plants so that they do not smother surrounding ones. Wishful thinking.
- I will tear out plants that have consistently done poorly in our climate.
- I will not buy any more roses! If I slip up on this one, I’ll buy only those that are disease resistant.
- I will take time to breath in the scents of the garden each and every day.
Here’s wishing you a lush, productive, and abundant New Year.
