(THINGS I WISH I KNEW SOONER!)
I’ve been homesteading since 2017 - and boy I’ve learned a lot in those 5 years! I want to help you save time + money by skipping as much of the learning curve as you can with this info.
CHICKENSRAISING
If you have any follow up questions, please do reach out as I love chatting about all things homesteading. If you want MORE, see the link to my friend Sarah’s homestead course below.
If you’re able to shop our family’s Young Living referral link or our Ministry’s Amazon storefront, please do as it helps us continue sharing and teaching this lifestyle, and supports our plans to expand our homestead’s livestock!
I’m Alina
FOR BEGINNER HOMESTEADERS
HATCHERYCACKLE
HATCHING EGGSDAY OLD CHICKSDAY OLD CHICKSHATCHING EGGS HERITAGE BREEDS
RAISING CHICKENS FOR BEGINNER HOMESTEADERS // @RINATOFAMILYADVENTURES
No matter what, where you get your flock started matters. I recommend hatching your own as it’s an incredible experience, especially if you have kiddos!
Incubating takes 21 days for most chicken eggs. The incubator will count it down for you and control the temp. Also, you’ll have to manually control humidity by adding water to reservoir. Brinsea is a great brand! I have large and small sizes. Shop them in my amazon storefront, they are so simple to use.
See my story about rescuing a chick with a partially dried membrane.
POULTRYMYERS
SOME TIPS:
HATCHERIES + HATCHING EGGS
SOURCING
INCUBATING
FIRST THINGS FIRST — will you start with the chicken, the chick, or the egg?
If you’re not yet ready to invest in an incubator, looking for a reputable company that ships day-old chicks is ideal. I have experience adopting older hens but I don’t know how they were raised/fed so I prefer starting fresh with new chicks. I’ve listed the companies below that I’ve worked with and can recommend as I’ve had great success with them. I always choose unvaccinated chicks. When you purchase hatching eggs, you will not know the sex of the chicks obviously. Some hatcheries selling chicks can sort them by gender before shipping, so you’ll have the opportunity to select females and/or males. Remember, if you want to continue your flock and have a great protector, at least one Rooster is a great idea. In my experience, Buff Orpington roosters are the sweetest.
Put eggs in with the pointy ends facing center. Candle your eggs along the way to see which are developing. I use a rubber drawer mat during lockdown so chicks dont slip around. Take the chicks out when they are fluffy and dry - they dont need food or water right away thanks to the yolk.
WITHBETTERTHYMEFARMS
SKYGIRLFARM
Supply food and water 24/7.
RAISING CHICKENS FOR BEGINNER HOMESTEADERS // @RINATOFAMILYADVENTURES
Be watchful! We’ve lost a couple chicks to accidental smothering from piling up.
HOUSING
TIPS:
FRESH COOP SPRAY
Chicks can be outside and taken off heat at 3 weeks of age. Make sure your coop has enough space the number of birds you have: a roosting area for sleeping, shelter, and nesting boxes where they’ll lay their eggs.
In a spray bottle, combine: + 10 drops lemongrass + 10 drops lavender + 10 drops peppermint + 1/2 cup vinegar then, fill the rest with water.
BROODER
Start with a small waterer so that they can’t fall in and drown.
Make sure to stay under the maximum number of chicks per heat plate.
A brooder is a self-contained area that provides a warm and safe environment for chicks. Use a brooder they can grow into. We use an oval stock tank and cover the top with hardware cloth stapled to a wooden frame. You must keep it warm. I prefer to use heat plates rather than lights. Shop them in our Amazon Store.
HEAT PLATE
FODDER nutrition, greens in winter
FEEDING | WATERING
View my HOW-TO FODDER highlight. Fodder Supplies Barley seeds I use
Chicks need feed all the time. Mature chickens can feed once a day, in the evening to encourage foraging during the day. This also helps lure them back into their coop before lock-up. Chickens should have 1/4 — 1/3 lb of feed per bird per day. Organic soy free is what we do, we find layer feed locally but also use scratch and peck.
Don’t overfeed! Try not to leave a lot of feed out at night to attract rodents and predators.
GRIT supply free choice when not foraging
RAISING CHICKENS FOR BEGINNER HOMESTEADERS // @RINATOFAMILYADVENTURES
FRESH OR DRIED HERBS
CALCIUM supply free choice to your layers
SUPPLEMENTING
Best of the best feeder is the Grandpa’s Automatic Feeder.
Honey/ACV/oregano/garlic in water helps boost immune system and settle chicks after their big adventure in the mail.
Oregano: therapeutic quality only (so many crap brands out there!) Boosts immune system, kills crud + critters in the digestive tract.
great for summer molting season, supply extra protein to help them grow back their feathers
FODDER LINKS
MEALWORMS
SOME TIPS:
PURICLEAN BLEND followed by: MENDWELL BLEND for wounds
Trail Cameras to see what’s happening at night.
Chicken tractors are non-permanent housing that you can move around grassy areas.
PANAWAY for bruises
PROTECTION TIPS
WELLNESS KIT (for animals + humans)
Fresh eggs do not need to be refrigerated if you do not wash them. Ours stay on our counter in a cute rack—shop it in our Amazon Storefront
RAISING CHICKENS FOR BEGINNER HOMESTEADERS // @RINATOFAMILYADVENTURES
SOME TIPS:
LAVENDER for burns FRANKICNENSE for head injuries
Chickens typically start laying eggs around 5-6 months old. Most chickens will lay one egg every other day. Our layers tend to use the same nesting box, so don’t be surprised if you find them all in one spot!
Livestock Guardian Dogs are a great investment if you have predator pressure. Learn more here.
Sometimes an egg shaped rock or a ceramic egg placed in a nesting box can direct your new layers where to start laying.
HELICHRYSUM for bleeding
LAYING EGGS
You must use hardware cloth (not chicken wire) if you have predators in the area. Common predators are: raccoons, possums, foxes, coyotes, hawks, stray/loose neighborhood dogs.
ANIMAL SCENTS OINTMENT to cleanse + protect wounds TAP TO SHOP
Electric fencing is an option to move them.
SOURCING
FEED
They need a high protein feed, usually 18% - 20%
Cornish cross, freedom ranger, heritage dual purpose: Delaware, Bresse
PROCESSING
Investing in the tools to do it yourself is a good idea in my opinion. We will be looking for Black Friday sales this year for the the needed equipment which I’ve linked in our Amazon Store
Usually an 8-week commitment from chick to harvest time for broiler chickens, longer for heritage breeds.
Our first experience was with Cornish cross from Myers Poultry, but we will continue with a more sustainable breed; the American Bresse which is Dual Purpose (meaning it lays eggs and is a delicious meat bird), a heritage breed, and we can breed our own and never have to buy more. Unlike the Cornish cross, you always have to buy new chicks to start. We get our American Bresse hatching eggs from Better with Thyme Farm
COMMON TYPES
MEAT CHICKENS
RAISING CHICKENS FOR BEGINNER HOMESTEADERS // @RINATOFAMILYADVENTURES QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Write me on insta @rinatofamilyadventures! SHOP MY HOMESTEADING FAVES: Want more details + info? Check out @BetterwithThyme’s homestead course YOUNGLIVING AMAZONSTORE
