TIPS ON CHICKS
FOWL FACT: Did you know that the chicken has the fewest taste buds of any animal measured? They have only 24 taste buds compared to about 9,000 in humans! Because of this, the chicken relies primarily on its well developed eyesight for finding food.
FOWL FACT: Chicks can be purchased “straight-run”, which is a 50-50 mix of males and females or “sexed” in which chicks are sorted as males or females.
FOWL FACT: Did you know that when chicks hatch, they have enough stored food reserves to nourish their bodies for up to 3 days?
POULTRY POINTER: Never feed adult diets to baby chicks, especially laying diets. Layer diets are high in calcium in order to support egg shell formation in the hen and can be harmful to chicks.
FEED FOR THOUGHT: The addition of marigold extract in Purina Mills Start & Grow® Sunfresh® Recipe supplies a high level of xanthophyll. The use of this natural coloring agent results in beautiful coloring of beaks and shanks in growing chicks.
FOWL FACT: You don’t need a rooster for hens to lay eggs. However, if you want baby chicks from your eggs, a rooster is necessary!
FEED FOR THOUGHT: Did you know that all Purina Mills Sunfreshâ Recipe poultry feeds are Certified Natural? This is our guarantee to you that our products contain only the freshest, highest quality natural grains and plant proteins available. You won’t find any animal proteins or fats in our Sunfreshâ Recipe diets either! Only the best will do for your chicks, naturally!
FEED FOR THOUGHT: Purina Mills Start & Grow® Sunfresh® Recipe is an 18% protein feed that provides wholesome nutrition using fresh sun-grown grains and plant proteins. This complete and balanced ration provides everything your baby chicks need for a strong and healthy start.
FEED FOR THOUGHT: Optimum levels of Vitamin E found in Purina Mills Start & Growâ Sunfreshâ Recipe help to support a strong and well functioning immune system which is key to preventing disease in young birds.
FOWL FACT: Did you know that about two thirds of the chickens body and egg contents are made up of water? In fact, chickens require about two times as much water as they do food! This critical nutrient is used in almost every body function of the chicken.
FOWL FACTS: Mature layer chicks that are fully feathered and under one year of age are called pullets. Once they reach their first “hatch-day” they are called hens.
FEED FOR THOUGHT: Purina Mills Scratch Grains Sunfresh® Grains provide a healthy outlet for a chickens natural scratching and pecking instincts and reduce the incidence of cannibalism in flocks.
FEED FOR THOUGHT: Purina Mills Layena® Sunfresh® Recipe is a 16% protein, high calcium ration made specifically for laying birds. It contains all the nutrients that hens require to produce top quality eggs.
FEED FOR THOUGHT: Laying hens require 3 to 4 times more calcium than non-laying birds to support egg shell formation. Purina Mills Layena® Sunfresh® Recipe provides optimum levels of calcium for strong egg shells with fewer cracks.
FEED FOR THOUGHT: Eggs collected from hens fed Purina Mills Layena® Sunfresh® Recipe will have rich yellow yolks due to high levels of marigold extract (a natural coloring agent) in the formula.
NOTES:
Preparing for your New Chicks
Newly hatched chicks require a house that is warm and dry. A commercially made brooder (house specifically made for starting chicks) may be available from your Purina Mills Dealer. For a small number of chicks, a sturdy cardboard box equipped with infrared heat lamps for warmth will suffice as a temporary home. There are also many internet sites available which sell brooders of various sizes and designs to start small to large numbers of chicks.
Chicks need 0.8 – 1.0 square feet of floor space per chick during the first 6 weeks of age. Ducklings, goslings and turkey poults will require more space due to their larger size. The normal brooding period for chicks begins when they hatch until they reach about 6 weeks of age.
Brooder House Preparation
- Brooders should be placed in an area that offers protection from the elements, is well ventilated (but free from drafts), and is safe from predators. This could be a garage, a basement, shed or some other safe place. You will want to check on your chicks often so keep this in mind when deciding where to keep them.
- Commercial brooders should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected several days prior to the arrival of your chicks to provide ample drying time.
- Three to 5 inches of dry pine shavings, straw or other absorbent litter (bedding) should be placed on the brooder floor. Paper towels can be used to cover the litter for the first several days to prevent chicks from mistaking the litter as food. Newspaper and flat cardboard can be slick and should not be used as it can cause leg problems (spraddle leg) in chicks.
- The heat source in the brooder or heat lamps should be adjusted to provide a 90°F temperature (at chick level) one day prior to arrival of the chicks. Turkeys require a higher brooder temperature of 100°F to start.
- A brooder guard ring (cardboard, plastic or wire barrier) should be placed around the brooding area for the first several days to keep the chicks close to the source of heat. If not used, the chicks may stray too far from the warmth and get chilled. The guard also prevents the chicks from crowding into corners and smothering. Provide enough space for chicks to move away from the heat if they get too warm. After a few days, the chicks will have learned where to find warmth and the guard can be removed.
- When using a cardboard box to start chicks, an infrared heat lamp placed about 20 inches above the surface of the litter will provide a good source of heat. It’s a good idea to use two lamps in case one fails so that the chicks don’t get chilled. Be very careful to position the lamp so it does not touch the box or any other object and create a fire hazard. The lamp height can be adjusted up or down to achieve the desired 90°F.
- Equip brooder with waterers and feeders. These are available in several different sizes and shapes to fit your particular needs.
Food for Thought: Recipe
- Purina Mills Flock Raiserâ Sunfreshâ Recipe should be fed free-choice to mixed flocks containing chicks, ducklings and goslings from hatch until laying age (18-20 weeks).
- Purina Mills Flock Raiserâ Sunfreshâ Recipe should be fed free-choice to mixed flocks containing chicks, ducklings and goslings from hatch until laying age (18-20 weeks).
- Purina Mills Game Bird Chowâ Startenaâ should be fed free-choice to turkey poults from hatch until they are 8-10 weeks of age at which time they can be fed Flock Raiserâ until laying age at 18-20 weeks. Game Bird Chowâ Startenaâ contains greater protein content needed to start turkeys.
- Water is critical for proper growth and development of chicks. Fresh, clean water needs to be available at all times.
Your Chick’s Homecoming Day
After making all the necessary preparations, it’s time to place your chicks in their new home!
Gently lift each chick out of their Purina Chick carrier and place them one at a time under the warm brooder.
- Dip the beaks of a few chicks into the water. This helps them find it sooner and the others will quickly catch on by watching. When starting turkeys, be extra watchful as they are not as quick to pick up on the mechanics of eating and drinking!
- During the first few days, use shallow pans, egg flats or squares of paper as temporary feeders. Small piles of feed placed on them will allow the chicks to find the feed easier and start eating earlier. On the secondday, regular feeders can be introduced. Keep feeders full the first week. Feeding area should be big enough to allow all chicks to eat at the same time.
- Occasionally check your chick for signs of “pasting up”. Sometimes their droppings will stick to their rear ends and accumulate to where it blocks their vent and the poor chick can’t relieve itself. If you find your chick’s rear end is caked up, gently clean the vent area with a warm, soft cloth and warm water. This is usually not a problem after the first week.
- Provide chicks with 18 hours of light per day for the first week and at least 10 hours per day thereafter (natural light counts).
- Never let feed or feeders get wet! Wet feed is a breeding ground for disease and a recipe for disaster!
- Clean and refill waterers daily or more often if contaminated with feed or litter. Feeders should get a good cleaning weekly and more often if necessary.
- Remove wet or caked litter as necessary and replace with clean, dry litter.
Tips to Grow On
- The first few days of a chick’s life are critical. Supplying a little extra TLC in these important first days will go a long way in giving them the best possible chance for a healthy future.
- Prevent chicks from chilling or getting too hot! The best measure to determine if the temperature in the brooder is correct is how your chicks behave. If right on target, the chicks will be evenly dispersed. Chicks that huddle together under the heat source are cold. Overheated chicks will station themselves around the edges of the box or brooder guard, and may pant. The temperature should be increased or decreased accordingly by raising or lowering the lamps or adjusting the heat source.
- Keep it clean and dry! Disease can strike and spread rapidly between chicks if they consume contaminated feed or water. Make sure feed and water stays free of litter and droppings. Spilled water should be cleaned up to prevent wet litter. Dampness in the brooder house will cause chilling and can lead to disease.
- Remember, feed and fresh, clean water need to be available 24/7!
Looking Ahead
- The best protection from disease in chicks is good management and proper sanitation of their environment. Extra effort in this area will go a long way in keeping your chicks healthy.
- Chicks should be vaccinated against poultry diseases common to the area you live in. Chicks are usually vaccinated against Marek’s disease at one day of age, so they may have already received this protection at the hatchery. Check with your local veterinarian for vaccination recommendations.
- Be sure to feed your chicks a complete and balanced diet intended for young chicks like Purina Mills Sunfreshâ Recipe Start & Growâ. What you feed today will determine how healthy and productive your birds are tomorrow!
- Don’t worry if your chicks seem to be sleeping a lot. Like all baby animals, a majority of their time is spent sleeping and eating
Your Chicks’ Weeks 2-3
Your chicks are well dispersed throughout the brooder, have access to all the feed and clean water they could want and appear happy and content….congratulations! You’ve gotten through the first week with flying colors! Now that your chicks are settled in and off to a good start, don’t forget to enjoy them! Chicks are very social and will provide hours of entertainment. You will see their unique personalities emerge as each day goes by and they will grow into mature chickens before you know it!
Chicks will emit a soft cheeping sound when everything is right in their world. This sound can be used by you as a means of determining their comfort status. A chick that is stressed due to conditions being too hot or cold, wet litter, or one that is hungry or thirsty will have a shrill or higher pitched cheep or may cheep very rapidly. Translate this as a call for help and look for the problem.
Things to Do This Week
- The brooder temperature should be reduced to 85°F (lower 5° each week to a minimum of 65°F).
- Chicks should be exposed to at least 10 hours of light per day after the first week.
- The brooder guard can be removed now if it hasn’t been already. Chicks should be able to find the heat source by this time.
- After the brooder guard is taken out, the feeders and waterers can be moved further away from the source of heat. As the chicks become more active and continue to grow, this will give them more space for exercise and will help keep the feeders and waterers cleaner.
- Any paper or pans used to feed should be taken out if you are sure chicks are eating from the feeders. The level of feed in the feeders can be decreased a little each week until they are 1/2 full at all times. This will help reduce the amount of feed waste.
Tips to Grow On
- Keep checking on chicks to make sure they are comfortable. Again, chick behavior is the best measure of the ideal brooder temperature.
- Continue to provide unlimited feed and water at all times.
- Clean and refill waterers daily.
- Remember, good sanitation is critical to avoid health problems when caring for young chicks. Keep litter dry by removing wet and soiled litter and replacing it with clean, dry litter.
- Always store feed in a well-ventilated, dry area that is insect and rodent free.
Looking Ahead
- Feeding extra grains or scraps to your chicks can reduce the amount of complete feed they eat and may prevent them from getting all the nutrients they need to grow and develop properly. A complete and balanced feed will provide all the nutrition your chicks need to grow into healthy, productive birds.
- One of the most common and deadly diseases in chicks is coccidiosis. Caused by a parasite, it is spread through the droppings of infected birds. Coccidia love damp, warm environments so wet litter and unsanitary brooder conditions are a prime breeding ground for this parasite. Most birds will come into contact with coccidia at some time but appear to be most susceptible to the disease between 3-5 weeks of age. If chicks are healthy and live in a dry, clean, well managed environment, they are often able to fight it off or may only get a mild case which can even go undetected. Symptoms of coccidiosis can include diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, weight loss, no desire to eat, ruffled feathers and an overall sickly appearance. If you suspect coccidiosis, seek treatment immediately. Untreated, it can spell disaster. Commercial vaccines and medicated feeds are available to prevent coccidiosis. However, the ideal prevention for this disease is maintaining a dry, sanitary, stress free environment through good management.
- If you suspect disease or some other serious health problem in your flock, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment options. Your local county extension agent and your Purina Mills Feed Dealer can also be a valuable source of information.
Your Chicks’ Weeks 4-5
By this time, you will have noticed that your chicks look a bit “unkept” as their fluffy appearance slowly disappears and their fuzzy down is replaced with feathers of a mature bird. Chicks will usually be fully feathered by 5 weeks of age. You will also observe their wattles and combs growing larger and taking on a deeper red color. Your babies are growing up!
As they mature, chicks will naturally establish a “pecking order” which determines each chick’s social position in the flock. Their place in the order will determine who eats and drinks first and ultimately who “rules the roost”. This order is determined early in life and is completely normal.
Although establishment of a pecking order is normal behavior, you should be watchful for excessive pecking in chicks as it may indicate a more serious problem, cannibalism. This is when birds peck the feathers and other body parts of other birds and if allowed to get out of hand, can lead to bleeding, open sores and even death. Cannibalism can occur at any age and needs to be controlled as soon as it rears its ugly head! It is costly and can spread through a flock rapidly if left unchecked. Cannibalism is usually the result of stress which can be caused by poor management. Some of these stressors may include crowding, excessive heat, bright lighting, hunger, thirst, the presence of sick or injured chicks, and parasites as well as any other factor that causes stress. Providing the correct living environment in terms of these factors will help reduce the potential for cannibalism from occurring in your flock.
Things to Do This Week
- Your chicks require less heat as time goes by and they grow larger and more able to regulate their body temperature. Continue reducing the temperature each week to keep them comfortable to a minimum of 65°F.
- Continue providing clean fresh water each day and providing unlimited Sunfreshâ Recipe Start & Growâ in their feeders.
- As your chicks grow, adjust the height of the feeders and waterers. A good rule of thumb is to keep them adjusted to the birds’ back height while 4 weeks of age, ducklings and goslings will thoroughly enjoy the addition of a swimming area. Be sure if you provide this to keep any resulting wet litter cleaned up!
Tips to Grow On
- Maintain good sanitation practices to reduce the chance of disease. Bigger chicks make bigger messes!
- As the chicks grow, make sure they have sufficient space to prevent crowding. Additional feeders and waterers may need to be added now to allow adequate space for all chicks to eat and drink at the same time.
- Keep a close eye on your chicks for signs of possible health issues. Chicks that are sick may appear droopy, listless, have diarrhea or be unwillin to eat.
Looking Ahead
- Your chicks will soon be mature enough to leave the brooder and move into more permanent living quarters, the chicken coop. If you don’t have one ready, now is a good time to start looking into getting one and preparing it for new occupants. You’ll be surprised at how fast your chicks will grow and how quickly moving day will arrive!
- Many types of poultry housing are available for purchase or you can venture to build your own. Whatever you decide, make sure that the house you choose is ventilated, predator proof and provides protection from extreme temperatures, wind and rain. Visit the Purina Mills poultry website where plans are available for a hen house and hutch design.
You made it through the brooding period…congratulations! This is the most labor intensive part of starting a poultry flock! Between 6 and 8 weeks of age, your chicks will be much larger and will need twice the amount of floor space they started with. If the temperature is mild and the chicks are fully feathered, they can be allowed outside during the day. It’s also time to start thinking about moving your chicks from the brooder to more permanent living quarters outside.
If you purchased straight-run chicks (50-50 males and females) you may be able to distinguish the males from the females around 5 to 7 weeks of age. The combs and wattles of the males usually develop earlier and are usually (but not always) larger than in the females. Females are typically smaller in size than males. If you are still uncertain of their sex by appearance, you’ll be sure who the males in the flock are when you hear them attempting to crow!
Things to do this week
- Your chicks are able to regulate their body temperature by this time and should not need a heat source any longer unless the outside temperatures are still very cold. Keep temperature at 65°F if this is the case.
- Prepare your chicken house or coop. Housing should provide approximately 3 square feet of space per mature bird (2-3 sq ft for roasters and 2.5-3.5 sq ft for layers depending upon size) and should contain sufficient feeders and waterers to accommodate your flock size so that all birds can eat and drink at the same time. Two to 3 inches of litter should be put down to minimize dampness and odor. A nest box for every 4 hens should be made available for laying pullets. Roosts are optional for laying pullets but not recommended for meat birds because of the potential for developing breast blisters.
- If possible, prepare an area outside the coop for your birds. Outside runs or fenced in areas will allow chickens to scratch and peck to their hearts desire, returning to the roost at dusk to sleep. The house needs to have a secure latch that is fastened each night if they are allowed outside during the day. An outside run attached to the coop with screening on the top and sides for protection will allow chickens unlimited access to the yard and save you time and worry.
Tips to Grow On
- Once you move your birds to their permanent residence, make sure they are protected from sneaky predators, especially at night. Raccoons have been known to figure out how to unlatch a “secure” door to gain access to the chicken coop!
- Your birds are still growing so keep feeding Purina Mills Start & Grow® Sunfresh® Recipe free-choice to help them reach their maximum potential. Chicks should remain on this feed until at least 18 weeks of age.
- Continue feeding Purina Mills Flock Raiser Sunfresh® Recipe to your mixed flocks of chicks, ducks, and geese. Turkey’s can start on Flock Raiser Sunresh®Recipe at 8-10 weeks of age. Keep feeding this until market weight or laying age.
- In chicks purchased for meat production, the normal weight for processing is 3-4 pounds for broilers and 6-8 pounds for roasters.
Looking Ahead
- Laying pullets will need to receive a constant amount of light exposure once they reach 16 weeks of age to promote good egg production. For optimum egg production, a maximum of 17-18 hours of light (natural and/or artificial) per day is recommended.
- Gradually change your flock over to Purina Mills LayenaâSunfreshâ Recipe at 18-20 weeks of age to support egg production.
- Pullets will usually begin laying between 18 and 22 weeks of age. Normal egg production is stimulated by increasing day length in the spring and egg production is naturally decreased in the fall when the days get shorter.
- Artificial light can be used in addition to natural daylight in the fall and winter months to maintain egg production all year long. If artificial light is not used, hens will stop laying when daylight hours decrease.
- After 10-14 months of egg production, hens will molt and stop laying eggs. During molting, old feathers are lost and replaced by new feathers. It usually lasts between 3-8 weeks and it gives the hen’s reproductive system some much needed rest. Hens will return to production after about 8 weeks. Eggs laid in the next cycle are usually larger with improved shell quality but production typically drops about 10%.
Your Chicks’ 3rd Month
Your chicks have continued to grow and mature weekly and have become quite independent. They will become sexually mature between 4 and 6 months of age and with any luck (and excellent nutrition, of course!) you’ll have your first egg laid soon thereafter!
- You should still be feeding Purina Mills Start & Grow® Sunfresh® Recipe to your birds. A layer diet should not be fed until 18 weeks of age because of the high calcium levels which are inappropriate for younger birds.
- Remember to always provide fresh water. Water is essential for healthy chickens, not to mention future egg production. As the weather gets warmer, they will drink more water so make sure they have access to a never ending supply!
- Purina Mills Scratch Grains Sunfresh® Grains can be introduced to your flock after 12 weeks of age. This natural, all grain supplement should be fed along with a complete and balanced diet and should not make up more than 5-10% of the total daily intake.
- If you feed Purina Mills Scratch Grains Sunfresh® Grains, your birds should also have access to “grit”. Grit is made up of small insoluble particles which assist in digestion of feed by helping to grind it up in the crop. Feed 1 lb per 100 birds, twice per week either mixed with other feed or free choice.
- Remember to provide your pullets with 17-18 hours of light per day starting at 16 weeks of age.
Your Chicks’ 4 ½ Month
You’re probably anxiously awaiting the “fruits of your labors”, fresh eggs! You’ve gotten your pullets off on the right foot by providing excellent care and nutrition for them during the past several months. Now is the time to introduce your laying pullets to Purina Mills Layena® Sunfresh® Recipe to insure that they receive the best nutrition to support egg production.
- Gradually transition your laying pullets over to Purina Mills Layena® Sunfresh® Recipe over a 7-10 day period.
- Continue to provide birds with a maximum of 17-18 hours of light per day to insure optimum egg production.
- Purina Mills Layena® Sunfresh® Recipe can be purchased as a pellet, crumble or mash. All 3 forms contain high quality grains with added vitamins and minerals for a complete and balanced diet. In pelleted form, it is just that, a pellet. Crumbles are simply pellets that are broken apart into smaller bits which make it easier to eat. Mash is broken into even smaller pieces to make a “meal”.
- Optimum egg production is achieved when layers are maintained in temperatures between 65°F and 85°F. As temperatures increase above this, egg size decreases. Keep your birds cool and comfortable so you will get the best return on your investment!
Your Chicks’ 6th Month
You’ve probably already been enjoying the long awaited eggs for a while now. We are sure you will agree it is well worth the wait for fresh, homegrown eggs! If you find that those first eggs are small, misshapen or have weak shells, don’t worry, practice makes perfect and as time goes by the eggs will become more consistent.
- Pullets usually start laying around 20 weeks of age with peak production occurring around 27-30 weeks of age. Peak production means that it is the highest rate of lay in your flock. Excellent peak production during this time would be between 80-90%. This means that on a given day, 80-90% of your birds will lay an egg. Nutrition, housing conditions, weather, breed and lighting, as well as management will all play a part in how many eggs each pullet will lay.
- You gather eggs frequently, at least 3 times per day. This is particularly important during hot weather! Eggs that will be used for eating should be refrigerated. Frequent collection and refrigeration keeps the eggs fresh and decreases the chance for broken eggs.
- Eggs intended to be used for hatching should be stored at 55°F and 70-75% humidity. When maintained at the correct temperature hatching eggs can be stored for up to 6 days with no effect on hatchability.
- After peak production occurs, the rate of lay will decrease by about 1 to 1.5% each week. Following 10-14 months of laying eggs, the pullet’s rate of lay will be very low and molting may occur.
- Continue feeding Purina Mills Layena®Sunfresh® Recipe free-choice and be sure there is always fresh water available!
Your Chicks’ 7th Month
Egg production in your flock is well established by now and you may be experiencing peak production at this time. Keep up good management practices to ensure the health of your birds throughout the laying cycle.
- Don’t be surprised when you notice your pullets start to lose their feathers. Molting is a normal process when feathers are lost and replaced by new ones. When pullets lose all their feathers, it is called a full molt. Others may only lose some of their feathers, usually around their neck, which is a partial molt.
- During molting, a bird will go out of production. This period gives the reproductive tract time to rest after the stress of many months of producing eggs.
- After molting, egg production resumes about 8 weeks later. Once they return to production, the rate of lay is about 10% less than the first cycle. However, the eggs are usually larger with stronger shells.
- Although molting occurs naturally after 10-14 months of egg production, it can also be caused accidentally as the result of stress due to disease, extreme temperatures, decrease in light exposure, and a lack or feed and/or water.
