How many of us remember, some time ago, visiting Grover C. Hughes Hardware, across the street from Waynesburg Milling and seeing spring chicks and ducklings in the window. I am sure that is a memory many of us look back upon fondly.
Well, that time of year will soon be upon us again, even though Grover C. Hughes has been closed for some time, many other hardware and farm supply stores will soon be getting in their shipments of spring chicks.
With the price of eggs soaring, many out there might be considering the possibility of getting some chicks to raise into chickens for a daily supply of fresh eggs, so we thought it prudent to give a few tips on doing just that.
Let’s talk about cost first, while the cost of baby chicks can be quite low, often times just a few dollars, there is a lot of overhead that most people don’t realize when they start a flock of back yard chickens. There can be significant cost in setting up a chicken coop and a fenced-in run for your chickens. Free ranging can decrease the cost of setting up a run, but it is extremely important to protect your flock from predators. Humans are just one of many species that find chickens tasty, and many predators can be relentless in attacking your flock. Chicken feed can also be a factor, again free ranging can help with reducing feed costs, but it is still important to have an adequate feed supply.
While many chicks when being purchased are “sexed”, meaning you are told whether or not you are getting a male or a female, the accuracy in determining the sex of a recent hatchling is an artform, not a science. Depending on the breed, one in ten chicks that could be labeled as a female may, in fact, end up being a rooster. While many folks fear roosters, they can be an asset to a flock. Roosters will protect their hens and keep a pecking order that tends to mitigate a lot of stress within the flock. Roosters can end up being aggressive to people, but there are many wonderful resources online on how to properly care for a rooster and curb issues with aggression. Perhaps the best resource is the Facebook group Rooster Allies. One should also check local ordinances to see if there are any restrictions on owning a rooster or having a back yard flock in general.
Noise can also be an issue. Many find the sounds chickens make, even roosters crowing, to be quite a pleasant experience. However, not everyone feels this way. Roosters don’t just crow at sunrise, sometimes they crow all night long and many times throughout the day. This can be bothersome to some people, so that should always be taken into consideration. When it comes to the potential for noisy animals, always be courteous to your neighbors.
These are just a few tips if you are on the fence about buying some spring chicks and starting a backyard flock. While many of the points above may deter you from starting a flock, you should also know that having chickens can be an extremely rewarding and therapeutic experience. Contrary to popular belief, chickens are highly intelligent birds, and each one has its own unique personality. They can be a lot of fun to watch and interact with, and you may find that they become more like pets than just livestock.
