How To Buy Baby Chicks For Your Backyard

For The First Time!

So, you're planning on possibly bringing home some baby chicks? They're certainly cute, aren't they? They're also fun as well, and they can provide you with eggs for many years. (Or meat, for those who are interested in that.) However, before you set out to bring home your new baby girls, there are a few things to consider.

Plan Ahead

First, make sure you and whoever is in your home approves of having chickens. Although you may think you can raise them on your own, having help and support will mean a lot. Make sure any other animals you have will be alright with them as well.

Next, look into the legalities of having backyard chickens in your neighborhood. Backyard chicken laws are different all over the world, and will differ even from county to county. Make sure you only own the legal limit of chickens for your yard. (Or make sure you have cool neighbors that don't mind you having a few extra hens, I recommend bribery by way of fresh eggs.) Just make sure you have no fewer than 3 chickens at the bare minimum; chickens need a flock to thrive.

Chicks are also a great form a cat entertainment

Also make sure you have the time to commit to raising and owning chickens. Backyard chickens live an average of 8-10 years, but some can live up to 20 years! Owning chickens isn't too different from owning dogs or cats, time wise. Also raising chicks from babies is a lot of extra time and work. You have to clean their cage, change their food and water, and tend to them often many times a day. If that's too much work for you, you may want to consider buying an older chicken around 1 year or so. Older chickens cost more up front, but in my opinion, end up being cheaper with all the money your saving by not raising them.

If you find yourself interested in purchasing an older hen, you may want to check your local farm or feed store for them, or there's always Craigslist.

Prepare A Space

Now that you've decided you're going to purchase these little chicks, you're going to need a space to keep them. There are a many of different options, and I've tried a few of them. My top recommendation would be a large bird cage. The first baby chicks we brought home, we raised them in a large storage bin. This ended up being problematic because when the chicks get to a certain age, they can fly right out of it. A large bird cage will keep them where you want. Also, birdcages are usually very adaptable. They are easy to hang a heat lamp from, and convenient to push a branch through to make your chicks a perch; which they will need!

These girls outgrew their box!

Also decide where you will keep them. We kept our babies in our office, where they were easily accessible. Unless you live somewhere very warm, I highly recommend keeping them inside, or at least in the garage. Baby chicks can be very fickle, and can die from getting too cold. Just make sure that wherever you choose to raise them, you don't mind getting dusty because there will be dust all over the room when you're done raising them.

Purchase The Necessities

After you've decided on a spot to raise your chicks and have cleared it all out, you will need to purchase the right tools to raise them. First you'll need a heat lamp, which needs to be a red light so that it won't keep the chicks awake at night. A regular light has been known to cause the chicks stress and keep them awake. (And stressed chicks are never fun, in any aspect of life!) Next you will need food. A nice organic and GMO free starter feed bag isn't usually too expensive at the feed store, and is what I personally recommend. We use Scratch and Peck Feeds. However, if you're not fussy about Organic or GMO free food like we are up here in Portland, any kind of chicken feed will work.

You will also need something to keep the food and water in. Yes, you can get by with using two simple bowls, but you will have to clean them much more often, and they are so easy for your chicks to spill. A small hanging feeder and waterer will help keep your chicks from pooping in them, which they will do, a lot. In the beginning you don't need to hang them, but as your chicks get taller, hanging the food and water it will be essential to keep them clean.

Lastly you'll need to acquire some bedding. We used straw for our baby chicks. One bale of hay will last you forever, and sometimes you can find them for cheap on Craigslist, just make sure it's nice and clean. Some people use pine shavings or even shredded newspaper, but it's a somewhat personal choice. We found straw to be easier to clean, and big enough to stay out of their food and water. Pine shavings are much smaller pieces and can get kicked around more easily.

Pick out the right breed for your needs

Buy the Chicks

Here is the fun part! You've prepared your space and have set up everything you'll need to raise your chicks, and now you get to pick them out. There are two ways to do this: choose the breed(s) you want, and then figure out where they sell them, or find a place that sells chicks and choose a breed you like from there.

Do you want hardy egg laying chickens, do you want a hen for meat, or do you just want the prettiest bird you can find? There are literally hundreds of chicken breeds, and they really do differ quite a bit from each other, so make you you choose the right breed for your family and yard.

You can buy chicks from online, but I've never tried this method, so I can't personally speak to that experience. But having bought ours from a local farm store, I can tell you it was a wonderful experience. And as a true Portlander, I must say that local is always better!

I would recommend finding nearby farm or farm/feed store and buying from them. Make sure they're reputable, and clean. If you walk in and their animals look lethargic, unhealthy, and dirty, this means they're not treating their animals well and the chicks you buy from them can likely get sick and die. When you find a creditable location, go in and ask about the breeds they have and which ones they recommend for you. Pick out the ones you like best and get ready to bring the girls home!

Our baby Buff Orpingtons on their way home

Bring Them Home

Once you have purchased your new baby chickens, get them home as quickly as possible so they can start settling in. When you first introduce them to your new home, you'll need to one-by-one dip each of the chick's beaks into the food and water so they know where they are. This is exactly as adorable as it sounds. But really, this is actually a very necessary step in orienting your babies to their new home. Also make sure your heat lamp is on. Baby chicks prefer temperatures just under 100 degrees, and then slowly cooler as they grow. Place the heat lamp on one side of the cage, and their food and water as far away from it as possible. Baby chicks won't eat food that's too hot, so also make sure to change it frequently.

You'll want to check on them very frequently to make sure everything is running smoothly. Like I said before, baby chicks can actually get sick pretty easily while they're small, so always check for signs of irregularity.

Our first egg!

So that's it! You've successfully purchased baby chicks. You are ready to start raising them. Congratulations on your future as a backyard chicken owner. Before you know it, they'll be laying eggs! Let me know if this helped you out, I'd be happy to write more on the process of raising and owning chickens.

Our flock in their first temporary outside coup!