Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
These chicks display great behavior—some resting, some eating. They are happy and cheeky chicks.
Be sure not to overcrowd your brood box. You'll want to make sure that you have one feeder and
one waterer for
every
15 to 25 baby chicks. They need about 6 inches of space per chick when they
are newly hatched, and by 8 to 10 weeks when they are feathering out, you'll want to provide at
least a square foot of space per chick. Ours have moved outside by about 4 or 5 weeks of age so
they do not become overcrowded in the house.
Chicken Coop
When your chicks are feathering out—a phase we call the punk-rock phase for reasons you'll
discover—you can move them to their outside enclosure. We have one enclosure with smaller mesh
that we move them to while they finish growing out. After they are adult size and may start laying
eggs, we move them in with the rest of the flock.
There is no right way to build a chicken coop. You can build a chicken coop out of just about
anything, but there are a few minimal requirements to keep in mind.
Space.
You want to allow about 3 to 5 feet of space per chicken. Allow more if they don't have
access to an outdoor run. You can get away with less room inside if they spend all their waking
hours running amok in the yard foraging. A moveable pen will keep your chickens in fresh pasture
even if you don't have a large amount of free-roaming space to work with.
Shelter.
Your coop should provide adequate shelter from the elements, and this means both heat
and cold. You shouldn't need to heat the chicken coop, if there are no drafts in the winter. Screened
windows and doors, and placing the coop in the shade of a tree during summer months, can help
prevent overheating if you're in a hot summer region like I am.
