Homesteading and Chicks
As the days are getting longer and the colder months are almost behind us, we can look forward to our favorite time of year, chick season. Whether you are checking online to see what breeds to add to your flock or getting prepared for your first set of chicks, it is beginning to feel like spring and baby chicks are right around the corner.
If you are new to raising chicks, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Provide young chicks a draft free brooder for warmth and protection
Clean your brooder before chicks are brought home
Cover the brooder floor with pinewood shavings
Provide a source of heat, through a heat lamp or heat plate
If the heat level is good, chicks will spread evenly around the brooder
If chicks are too hot, they will pant and their heads will droop
If chicks are too cold, they will huddle directly under the heat lamp and be noisy, a sign of distress
Give chicks space to move around
Make sure your chicks have access to clean, fresh water
Check water levels daily to be sure your chicks are consuming enough water
Supply chicks with quality, certified organic chick starter and grower
Provide a proper chick feeder for easy access to chick feed
With so many choices in chick starters, American Farm and Larder provides an assortment of formulas to meet the demand of every owner’s needs.
Your new chicks will need a high protein diet and my favorite feed, Modesto Milling, has three certified organic formulations available in a crumble to meet your feeding goals: Organic Chick Starter and Grower Crumbles, Organic Non-Soy Chick Starter and Grower Crumbles, and Organic Non-Soy and Corn Chick Starter and Grower Crumbles.
Modesto Milling's non-soy diets provide a good balance of amino acids through a pea protein source. All our formulas provide the benefits of kelp, vitamin E, Redmond salt and clay conditioner along with an herb and essential oil blend.
If you are feeding a few chicks, start with a 10- or 25-pound bag. We also have 50-pound bags for larger flocks.
Pick up a bag at American Farm and Larder! We strive to keep stock on hand but, to be sure we have what you need when you need it, email, call, or text to place an order. We order fresh feed weekly directly from the mill.
