The Backyard Flock: Getting ready for spring and a new flock

For the past few days, the clear skies we have been experiencing have been both a blessing and a curse. The sun has been trying its best to warm our days, but lingering snow keeps reflecting its heat back up into the sky. And no clouds means whatever warmth we did manage to accumulate during the day just rises right back up again at night with no fluffy blanket to hold it in. When I get up in the morning and see all that sunshine, I am ready to let the girls out. But, then I look at the thermometer (18 degrees!) and I decide to wait until the sunlight gets around to the backyard. But after the winter we have had, afternoons in the high forties get me to thinking about spring and raising chicks. Next week will bring the vernal equinox.

Last year, at the very beginning of May we purchased six new chicks, a straight run of pullets, three Araucanas and three Barred Plymouth Rocks. Having brought new chicks into the flock before, we were pretty well prepared for it this time. But, I remember the first time we bought six chicks. We didn’t have a clue. And once we had them home we had to scramble to set up to care for them. So, if you are thinking about starting a flock for the first time, I advise doing some research and preparation before hand, as you would if you were about to bring home a new baby. Be prepared!

First, you have to think about where you are going to keep them. I think of this as being a three stage process. When you first get them home, you are going to have to keep them under a heat lamp. So, you will need a suitable enclosure with an open top. Once they are out from under the heat, you are going to need a secure place to keep them during their adolescence. After they start to mature at about 12 weeks, you will probably want to move them into permanent quarters.

Many years ago, I bought a backyard swing set for my kids. In large letters on the directions was this advice: Assembly should take about two hours without children; four hours or more with children. You don’t want to be trying to build a chicken coop with a half-dozen adolescent chickens running around. They are some of the nosiest of God’s creations. Unless you find a way to fence them off, I guarantee they will be sticking their beaks into everything.

What you will need right away: A chick drinker; a chick feeder, a bag of chick-starter (feed); a heat lamp with a 250 watt heat bulb; a forty gallon plastic storage box with a lid that can be secured; a bale of straw; and an assortment of bungee cords in different lengths. This will be enough to buy you some time, before you decide to move the chicks out of the house.

Last year we kept the chicks in the kitchen in the plastic bin under heat for the first couple weeks. Eventually we moved the bin onto the back deck, then into the back yard and, finally, into a new coop.

Next week: Purchasing your chicks and bringing them home.