Baby chicks begin filling feed stores and arriving in post offices around the country in late February each year, so I have rounded up some tools to help the new chicken keeper with chicken breed selection, chick housing options, feeding questions and trouble-shooting problems common in baby chicks.
If you are new to chickeneering, welcome! If you’re an ol’ pro, you still might find a few tips here that will help you keep your chicks healthier and happier and keep your family safe while doing so. The entire pet chicken experience is immeasurably more enjoyable when knowing what to expect.
Each topic below is a clickable link to its article on my blog.
Things I Wish I Had Known Before Getting Chickens
Some lessons in chicken care are painful and expensive to learn by experience, so in the hope of sparing some growing pains for those about to embark on chicken-keeping, my Facebook fans and I have written a of things we wish we had known before taking the chicken plunge.
Tips for Breed Selection
The enormous array of breeds available to choose from can be daunting, but it’s important to make an informed decision about breeds in order to avoid disappointment for the chicken keeper as well as unnecessary challenges for the chickens.
Buying Chickens to Start a Laying Flock
What You Need to Know About Vaccines,
From Dr. Mike Petrik, The Chicken Vet
Tips for Choosing Healthy Chicks
How Much Heat Do Chicks Really Need?
Baby Chick Care Basics
All chicks need to thrive is a caring chicken-keeper with safe, warm, spacious housing, food and clean water.
The Dangers of Heat Lamps & a Safe Alternative
Of all the advances in baby chick care in the past 10 years, the Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder is the most important since it ensures that families are able to safety care for chicks without the fear of burning the house down.
The Ultimate Brooder Setup (with Video!)
No need to invest in expensive housing for chicks- with a little creativity, you can make a brooder that perfectly accommodates day old chicks with the flexibility for expansion as they grow!
How to Sex Chickens
Even the most reliable sexing methods used by commercial poultry operations have a margin of error and sometimes chicks get mixed up in the bins at the feed store. Always have a plan for roosters if you cannot keep them and learn how to distinguish males from females as early as possible.
What to Feed Chicks
Chickens at different stages of development require different feed formulations. This article explains what they need at different ages and stages of development.
Treats: How Soon, How Much, Which Ones?
The wrong treats and treats in excess can be harmful to a chick’s health, stunt growth and shorten their lifespan. So, we should be aware of what can they eat, what should they not eat and how much is too much.
5 Common Problems in Chicks with Solutions!
The five most common problems in baby chicks are all easily treated!
Picking, Causes, Prevention & Solutions
Picking can run rampant in a brooder, resulting in serious injuries and death, so it’s critical to control the factors that cause picking and address injuries urgently.
When Baby Chicks Need a Pedicure: Manure Balls
When to Move Chicks From Brooder to Coop
How to Reform a Broder Bully
Chicken First Aid Kit & Emergency Housing
Kathy Shea Mormino
Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on
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Baby chicks begin filling feed stores and arriving in post offices around the country in late February each year, so I have rounded up some tools to help the new chicken keeper with chicken breed selection, chick housing options, feeding questions and trouble-shooting problems common in baby chicks.
If you are new to chickeneering, welcome! If you’re an ol’ pro, you still might find a few tips here that will help you keep your chicks healthier and happier and keep your family safe while doing so. The entire pet chicken experience is immeasurably more enjoyable when knowing what to expect.
Each topic below is a clickable link to its article on my blog.
Things I Wish I Had Known Before Getting Chickens
Some lessons in chicken care are painful and expensive to learn by experience, so in the hope of sparing some growing pains for those about to embark on chicken-keeping, my Facebook fans and I have written a of things we wish we had known before taking the chicken plunge.
Tips for Breed Selection
The enormous array of breeds available to choose from can be daunting, but it’s important to make an informed decision about breeds in order to avoid disappointment for the chicken keeper as well as unnecessary challenges for the chickens.
Buying Chickens to Start a Laying Flock
What You Need to Know About Vaccines,
From Dr. Mike Petrik, The Chicken Vet
Tips for Choosing Healthy Chicks
How Much Heat Do Chicks Really Need?
Baby Chick Care Basics
All chicks need to thrive is a caring chicken-keeper with safe, warm, spacious housing, food and clean water.
The Dangers of Heat Lamps & a Safe Alternative
Of all the advances in baby chick care in the past 10 years, the Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder is the most important since it ensures that families are able to safety care for chicks without the fear of burning the house down.
The Ultimate Brooder Setup (with Video!)
No need to invest in expensive housing for chicks- with a little creativity, you can make a brooder that perfectly accommodates day old chicks with the flexibility for expansion as they grow!
How to Sex Chickens
Even the most reliable sexing methods used by commercial poultry operations have a margin of error and sometimes chicks get mixed up in the bins at the feed store. Always have a plan for roosters if you cannot keep them and learn how to distinguish males from females as early as possible.
What to Feed Chicks
Chickens at different stages of development require different feed formulations. This article explains what they need at different ages and stages of development.
Treats: How Soon, How Much, Which Ones?
The wrong treats and treats in excess can be harmful to a chick’s health, stunt growth and shorten their lifespan. So, we should be aware of what can they eat, what should they not eat and how much is too much.
5 Common Problems in Chicks with Solutions!
The five most common problems in baby chicks are all easily treated!
Picking, Causes, Prevention & Solutions
Picking can run rampant in a brooder, resulting in serious injuries and death, so it’s critical to control the factors that cause picking and address injuries urgently.
When Baby Chicks Need a Pedicure: Manure Balls
When to Move Chicks From Brooder to Coop
How to Reform a Broder Bully
Chicken First Aid Kit & Emergency Housing
I keep my Polish with my other birds. They may take longer to integrate because they are different looking.
Hi Kathy I am getting ready to integrate some new chicks into my existing flock. There are three that are large breed chicks and the fourth is a Polish crested. Do I need to keep the polish crested seprate from the big girls.
love your site, so much info
It’s hard to wait for our new peeps, but we have coop to finish first!
You gave me some advice and it worked!!