By Abby Baker
Staff Intern
In honor of spring, The Hay Exchange in Plant City is selling baby chickens and supplies to first-time and veteran flock owners.
Patrons can get five chicks for free if they purchase 50 pounds of Purina Start and Grow.
“You should at least get two or three,” Amber Hays, Hay Exchange employee, said. “They get kind of lonely otherwise.”
Because juvenile chickens can be too cute to handle at times, it’s easy to forget that they are not fuzzy accessories, but a commitment.
But with the right materials and time, owning your own poultry can be rewarding and cost effective.
WHAT CAME FIRST?
The most difficult part of raising chickens is when they can still fit in your hand.
Pick a spot to raise your chickens for the first four to five weeks that is predator free and does not have a draft. A garage, laundry room or workshop are perfect locations.
Because it’s only for a few weeks, the chicks can live in a cardboard box or a large aquarium. Just make sure that there is bedding (preferably pine shavings) and that their floor is removed and cleaned every day.
Water and chick feed can be left in the space, but make sure that the chicks are checked on at least five times a day, and their food and water source is changed as needed.
“Baby chicks need a heat source,” Hays said. “Keep them under the brooder lamp until they are two or three weeks old.”
A red heat bulb, or brooder lamp, should be left over the cage. You can slowly reduce the temperature or move the bulb farther and farther away as they age. This will get them used to outside temperatures.
After they reach five weeks, you can move them to their outside coop. Make sure that a flock of four or less has at least 5 to 10 feet of living space.
After your chickens are introduced to their outside home, you can begin utilizing them.
Whether your flock is for fun or for utility, your yard will be bug-free and organically fertilized.