Before You Buy New Chicks

New chicks are so cute, so irresistable...but before you go buy some of your own, there are things to find out about, learn, and do...

First, find out if your city will allow you to have chickens.

This is of first and foremost importance: If you live in the city, make sure to check what the city ordinances are for keeping chickens in your city. Although raising chickens in your back yard is gaining in popularity, your specific city might not allow them. And if they do, they will usually have rules around how many chickens you can have, where the coop can be located, whether or not you can have roosters, etc. So, FIRST, check to see what your city says! And, also, check with your HOA, if you live in one. I know several people who live where their city says they can have chickens, but their HOA's prohibit it.

Second, don't put your cart before your horse (or your chickens before the hen house).

A word to the wise: don't buy your chicks until your chicken coop ready to go. While it's true that your new babies will have to be indoors for the first 6-8 weeks of their lives, by the end of that time you'll be more than happy to have them move outside into their new diggs. Buying chicks before the chicken coop is ready puts you at risk for having adolescent chickens with no where to go...as time often goes by much more quickly than you anticipate and chickens grow at amazing speeds!

 

I can attest to this fact personally, as I heard (but ignored) this advice, and bought chicks first. How hard can building a little coop be, I reasoned. I've got weeks. I can pull it off, I foolishly believed....and well, let's just say things didn't go as planned...you can read the story and see the pictures as I built my coop. And PLEASE PLEASE learn from my folly...I understand...they're soooo cute and you might just want them immediately...but planning a head will save a lot of stress in the long run.

(If you're wanting to build a chicken coop yourself, check out the free chicken coops plans...find out how big you should build a coop ...lean the basic coop information about what needs to be included in your coop.)

Third, decide what you want: Not all chickens are created equal.

While you're figuring out the details of where your chickens live, a bit of research is also in order. There are over 150 breeds of chickens, each with their own special charateristics. Before you buy chicks, decide what's most important to you. Why do you want to raise chickens? Answering those questions will narrow down your choices.

For instance, do you live in a climate where your chickens will need to tolerate extreme heat or cold? Are you most concerned with egg production? Big eggs, colorful eggs, little eggs? So many choices. Do you want exotic looking pets? Or maybe chickens that are generally good natured? Maybe none of those things concern you because you want to EAT the chickens you raise...but what kinds of birds are good for meat?

If you know people that have had chickens, ask them which breeds they liked best. Chances are pretty high that if you ask a dozen people that question, you'll get at least 8 different answers!

Once these three considerations are taken care of...LET'S GO GET CHICKS!!

Hi Ho Hi Ho...it's off to the feed store we go...

Now it's time to find out how to take care of baby chicks.