Question 1

Will you ship chicks?

Accepted Answer

We do not ship live animals due to postal regulations.  Chicks are only offered by pick-up at the farm in Erkrath, DE.

Question 2

What do we need to feed the new chicks?

Accepted Answer

Our chicks are sold witin a few days to a few weeks of hatching.  They require a high-protein "chick starter" feed (18–20% protein) from hatch until 6–8 weeks old.  Chicks grow rapidly and a high-protein diet is essential for building strong muscles, bones and feathers.  Chick pellets or crumble should be avialable at all times along with clean fresh water for growing chicks.

Some use medicated chick feed which prevents Coccidiosis - a somewhat common disease in damp crowded situations.  We have never used medicated feed and have had no problems - we hatch small batches and keep their environment dry and clean.

From 8 weeks to about 16 weeks they should be switched to a grower feed with slighly less protein (~16%) to support moderate growth rates ensuring a strong foundation for adults.

Finally after 16 weeks they can be switched to layer feed which has a higher calcium supplement for laying hens.

Question 3

How long do the chicks need a heat supplement?

Accepted Answer

As young chicks only have their baby down, they will need a heat source to keep warm.  This is best as a heating plate (many brands out there - easily found on Amazon) to avoid any danger of fire which is a risk with lower cost heat lamps.    As the chicks grow, the heatplate should be raised up slowly so they can easily crawl under it and the heat is slowly reduced as the distance above the chick grows.

Of course if you are budget constrained, heat lamps work fine as well.  One benefit is they allow chicks to moderate their own temperature easily by simply getting closer or farther from the lamp.

As the chicks grow, their feathers begin to fill in.  The goal is to move your chicks outside between 4-6 weeks.  How long they will need a heat supplement will depend on the outdoor temperatures - especially nighttime temps) and how many chicks in the group.  Large groups can huddle together and keep each other warmer at night than 2 or 3 chicks.

There is guidance to decrease heat by ~5degrees each week for 5-6 weeks to wean them off the heat.  But that can be difficult as many heat plates and lamps do not have a thermostat.  We usually move our chicks outside at ~4-5 weeks with a heat plate (closer to 3 weeks in the summer).  Slowly raising it so that after a few weeks they will no longer need the heat plate as all their feathers are filled in.

Important information

Frequently asked questions

Will you ship chicks?

What do we need to feed the new chicks?

How long do the chicks need a heat supplement?