About Baby Chicks
Chickens that are newly hatched are called baby chicks. They are a popular attraction with children and adults alike. Sometimes offered for sale in the spring at feed and hardware stores, the baby chicks require special care until they reach a certain age. The decision to welcome one of these little darlings into your home should not be taken lightly because there are many needs to be taken into consideration first.
Function
Most people who raise chickens as pets just have them around for play or entertainment. Some people make good use of hens that lay eggs for the table, called layers. Still other chickens will be destined for the butcher block, called broilers. If properly cared for, chickens can live up to 15 years if kept as a pet or used as an egg layer. Different types of chickens will require different nutrition, whether they will be layers or broilers, and it is important to start baby chicks out with the right kind of feed for their intended purpose.
Types
Baby chicks usually don't look anything like their parents. They aren't easily identifiable by breed until they get through the first few months of life and begin to get their real feathers. There are hundreds of breeds of chickens, but their chicks all look fairly similar at birth.
Size
Baby chicks are extremely fragile at birth. They almost feel weightless in the palm of your hand. That is why it is important that children be supervised around the chicks. They really shouldn't be held at all until they are a little bigger. If you must hold the baby chick or allow a child to pick one up, make sure that one hand is placed under the chick's belly and then bring the other hand down lightly on its back to pick it up.
Considerations
Baby chicks aren't as easy to care for as adult chickens. They require a certain temperature that must mimic the summer weather. Baby chicks must be kept at a temperature around 80 degrees, and this can be accomplished with an incubator or, if you don't have one, they can be placed in a box with an overheat heating light clamped to it. The baby chicks must have access to feed and water at all times. They can't eat the bigger pieces of grain that the chickens do so they must have a starter feed that is especially formulated for baby chicks.
Warning
Baby chicks are at the bottom of the pecking order and should never be placed in the coop or anywhere around adult chickens because they will get picked on. They can be placed with the other chickens when they are about the same size as the rest of the brood. This is especially true if you purchase baby chicks or hatch them from eggs and try to place with other adult chickens. If they are hatched by the hen sitting on the nest, then they are more likely to be protected by her than if they were placed in the coop as strangers.
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