We are continuing in our Backyard Chickens 101 series today with some how chicks grow. This has been my favorite stage of raising backyard chickens!
Chicks grow up very quickly! You will be amazed by how much they change and grow from week to week. Come see how our chicks grew and changed week by week . . .
Baby Chickens Week 3
Your chicks are getting faster, bigger, more feathered out, and more playful with each other. You will see them stretching out their wings a lot and flapping them. We added deer netting to the top of our brooder at this point as they were starting to get 8” in elevation at times! Above let you can see the New Hampshire Red’s feathers coming in; she will be orange so the color difference makes it distinctive to see.
We’ve notice as the feathers are coming in the chicks seem to be pecking at their fur/fuzz more.
Continue to feed and give water as you have been up to this point. Although chicks should mainly be eating their perfectly mixed chick starter, they may enjoy an occasional treat of dried meal worms or leafy greens. Lower the temperature in the brooder to 85 F (or higher/lower depending on your chicks behavior). If it is warm where you live (about 70 and sunny) you can take the chicks outdoors carefully at this point in a contained area to allow them to explore and forage a little. This should be very controlled and for short periods of time as the chicks are still susceptible to getting chilled.
Baby Chickens Week 1
Chicks are small balls of fluff during the first week. They are relatively easy to catch and pretty much just eat, sleep, drink, and poop (and not that big either). They make pleasant cheeping noises that we found very relaxing! They are not noisy or smelly.
You are going to want to make sure their temperature is about 95 F, but their behavior is the best indicator if you have a good temperature for them. If they are all huddled together under the heat source – it is too cold. If they are all hanging out around the edges or panting – it is too hot. If it is a good temperature they should be moving around, digging and cheeping quietly. Loud cheeping usually indicates a problem!
They should be eating as much food as they want. We feed our non-medicated Organic Chick starter. Some people feed the medication as a preventative step. We find this to be unnecessary and goes against the whole “real” and natural food we are trying to achieve. For the same reason we choose an organic starter. The food will be almost a powdery substance. It cost us $10 for a 50lb bag of food. This is something you will want to buy locally as it is cheaper and very expensive to ship. Stick to just their chick feed for this week to ensure they are getting good nutrition to grow healthy and strong.
You can also feed them by hand if you like. This will help them start to know you and is always fun for kids!
Make sure to change their water frequently throughout the day as chicks like to poop and kick up pine shavings in the water. As they get older we put ours on top of a plate turned upside down to help minimize the pine shavings they kick up into it. For the first several days we put cleaned rocks in the water dish to help prevent accidental drowning.
The other funny thing I should mention is how chicks sleep at this point. Some will find a sleeping budy and you will see 2 or more chicks cuddled up together. But many times at this age they will just fall asleep wherever they are (like human babies) and look almost dead in doing so. Do not be alarmed – this is normal! Chicks will not roost at this point and are unable to fly the coop =)
Always make sure to wash your hands before working with the chicks as they are very susceptible to illness at this point. Also always wash your hands after you finish working with the chicks to prevent spreading anything back (although that is less likely).
Baby Chicks Weeks 1 to 6 Growth and Development
FAQ
What does a 4 week old chicken look like?
How big is a chicken at 20 weeks?
What do you call a 4 week old chicken?
How fast do baby chickens grow?
Do you know the age of your chickens?
Knowing the age of your chickens is crucial. Without it, it isn’t easy to know their egg-laying ability, what to feed them and what their general health should be. Aging a chicken is obviously not an exact science, and some breeds are exceptions to the ‘normal’ rules, so the best you can do is get an approximation.
How many calories are in 8oz chicken breast?
8 oz of chicken breast averages 374 calories. It’s a large amount, and it’s not necessary to consume all of it in one meal, half of that is usually more suitable for the general population.
How long do chickens live?
Aging a chicken is obviously not an exact science, and some breeds are exceptions to the ‘normal’ rules, so the best you can do is get an approximation. Most backyard chickens live to an average age of six to eight years, but there are exceptions! A hen that is kept as a pet is likely to live longer than her outside foraging sister.
When do chickens grow?
Weeks 5-15: The teenage chicken stage During weeks 5 and 6, chicks will go through visible growth changes, including new primary feathers and a developing pecking order. Growing birds are now referred to differently. Pullet is the term for a teenage female, while a young male is called a cockerel.