The audacity...7 lessons learned in the first 7 weeks of keeping chickens
- Ella Sandberg
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Peter and I knew that this was the year of the chickens for our little homestead. We planned and prepared over the winter and early spring, ordering the baby chicks, building the coop and run, and learning all that we could... except we thought we could "bend the rules" of everything we were learning to push the boundaries of what it looks like as part-time homesteaders to add chickens to the mix. Looking back and knowing what we know now, it was a silly notion to think we could find a new way to do this!
Lesson #1: Part-time chicken keeping is not a thing
Peter and I are in a season of adjustment here at PETEnELLA's Homestead. Up north, my work responsibilities shifted, and I am now a part-time employee, which has been an unanticipated blessing (the shifting part was very hard for me personally) as I have had time to take care of the chicks and the growing gardens. There is really not much that is part-time about having baby chicks around!
Lesson #2: Transporting baby chicks is not a good plan
We initially anticipated a scenario where we would transport the baby chicks and their accoutrements back and forth between Northern Virginia and the homestead along with our new puppy, Maggie. The dream... have chickens, will travel.
The reality...the boxes and warmers we had to move them were too small and not warm enough. Baby chicks grow so fast, I would have had to use lots of boxes for moving. Baby chicks are messy, and moving anything that they are using is complicated with dusty, chicken-poopy messes.
The biggest challenge was the unforeseen combination of moving the baby chicks along with a new puppy that has terrible issues with car sickness. Poor Maggie is a barf-y puppy! So, in order to help her, we would adjust the temperature in the car to keep her cooler (didn't work anyway), but in doing so, we were not helping the chicks maintain their body heat.
After we lost two chicks, one arrived and never ate or drank, and one we lost (I believe) as a result of stress, we made the decision to stay put at the homestead with all of them (chicks and barf-y puppy).
Lesson #3: Ventilation is important for the chickens and us!
Good airflow prevents respiratory problems both in the coop and in areas where you are keeping baby chicks.
We started with chicks in the kitchen, then the chicks moved south to the homestead and were tucked away in a back bedroom for a week. Then they moved to the front entryway, and then we booted them out to the worm shed. It wasn't long before we decided it was time to move them outside to their coop along with their warmers.
The dust and feathers that are kicked out and around from whatever you are keeping your chicks in will get EVERYWHERE! We were not ready and have already changed our plan for next year. Peter is going to build a dedicated shed where we can raise our chicks with proper ventilation, keeping the dust under control and out of our house.
Lesson #4: Pasty butt is serious business and needs to be dealt with
I heard about this issue with baby chicks. Probably the least glamorous part of the baby chick phase is the daily check and dealing with pasty butt.
What is pasty butt? When a chick has loose or soft poops, it can get stuck on their backside around their vent. It is problematic as this can build up and prevent them from eliminating waste as they should.
Solution: Soaking their little pasty butts in warm water (sometimes with Epsom salt added) until the blockage can be wiped away.
Challenges: I found that the chicks were not huge fans of this process. I tried to make it feel more like a spa day for them, but they knew otherwise. Escapees and adding to the stress of their day was hard on all of us!
Lesson #5: Keep your supplies near and organized
This is one area where I had a good first year, but I definitely learned what I need and don't need. I had multiple plastic totes with supplies ready for the daily care of the chicks. Next year, I will pare down to the minimum needed and have everything in one tote, ready to roll!
Lesson #6: Build a routine and learn from our mistakes
Homesteading in general works better with built-in routines. As I said earlier, this is a season of adjustment for Peter and me as we are here at the homestead more permanently and my work schedule has changed. With these adjustments, deciding how to best accommodate the needs of everything animal, vegetable, and human, Peter and I are cognizant that we may have to inconvenience ourselves in order to make sure that our animals are in good shape.
Example...training the chickens to the automatic coop door.
Our chicken coop has an automatic door that opens and closes as the sun rises and sets. Did you know that you have to "train" your chickens to go in at night? The way to do this is with a light inside the coop. As the sun goes down and it gets darker outside, the chickens are drawn to the light inside the coop. It works! However, the inconvenience comes as Peter and I are not night owls and like to go to bed (sometimes before the sun sets), but we have to check on the chickens. So, we stay up later than we like, or lie down, but set an alarm to do the checking chore.
Lesson #7: Chickens are lovable and lots of fun to keep
We did not anticipate how much fun we would have with keeping chickens. Their personalities are varied, and they are interesting to watch and interact with. I love that when I come into the run to greet them, they come running up to greet me (okay...maybe they are checking to see if I have a special treat for them...but their enthusiasm is sweet)!
Overall, the process of getting and keeping baby chickens has been humbling but rewarding. We no doubt have many more lessons to learn and we will gladly accept advice and sage counsel...and not be so prideful to think we can invent a new way to care for baby chicks.
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