Chickens

Did you know it is chick season?  For those of you that have chickens as pets, Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips on caring for your chickens.

Remember, to keep chicken odor down, use Clear the Air’s Odor Eliminator – it is non toxic and completely safe even if consumed by your chickens.

Here are some helpful tips on why, what and how for chickens:

Why Raise Chickens?

• Easy and inexpensive to maintain (when compared to most other pets)
• Eggs that are fresh, great-tasting & nutritious
• Chemical-free bug and weed control
• Fun & friendly pets with personality
  

First make sure you can legally own and raise backyard chickens

• Search local chicken laws & ordinances

How To Care For A Chick – First 60 Days:

• A Young Chick Brooder  can be as simple as a sturdy cardboard box or a small animal cage like one you’d use for rabbits.
• Pine shavings work best for flooring.
• The temperature should be 90 to 100 deg. for the first week, decrease 5 deg. per week.  A 100 watt bulb pointing in one corner (not the whole brooder) works well.
• Chick crumbles / starter & a chick waterer work for food and water.
  
• Play with your chicks when young to get the use to being around people.
• Section off an area in your yard where the chicks can explore, scratch, etc.  Make sure you can catch them when it’s time to come in and make sure it is blocked off well enough to keep predators, especially hawks and coyotes, out!
  

Chicken Care After First 60 Days, General Chicken Care:

• Once feathered out you’ll want to move your chickens into a chicken coop.  Rule of thumb is about 2-3 square feet per chicken inside the henhouse and 4-5 sq/ft per chicken in an outside run. Keep local predators in mind and make a safe home for your flock.
• Pine shavings work best for flooring.
• Most people go with chicken layer feed / pellets – available at the Country Feed Store
  
• Vegetables, bread, bugs, chicken scratch (cracked corn, milo, wheat) are great treats for your chicken