Baby Chickens Help Please!?

Question

Hi Guys!

Well one of my family members was a sucker and got baby chicks. Now we are stuck with 3 of them. I have tried to return them to the original owner and he said he does not want them back.

So we are stuck with baby chickens.

1. I have checked and our city permits 6 chickens, but no roosters. How and when can I tell if I have a rooster?
2. What is the best foods for them now? What is the best food when they grow up? 
3. How to I make a chicken coop? I live in CO so it's cold here. 
4. How big should the coop be?
5. Just let me know any webpages or information regarding keeping chickens. I would hate for them to die. I no longer have dogs as they passed away so we have a huge yard with already one outside pen for a Russian Tortoise (tortoise is small so we have a lot of the yard left).

Please help me. I am a beginner at taking care of chickens.

They are fine for now; dude gave some food and stuff to take care of them. They already have some feathers growing on the wings and some feathers on their butts.

Thank you so much! I would never have gotten them if it was not for my family member that just took them in. I always research before getting a pet, but as this was suddenly I find myself with many questions.

Angela

amhailte · Accepted Answer

You can't usually tell if you have a rooster until they are 4 - 6 months old.  First sign is that a rooster will develop sickle (pointed) feathers around his neck and rump.  Second sign is that he will start to crow!  :)

Feed kibbled food with a coccidiostat until they're about 4 months old, then switch to normal layer food - don't feed layer food to young chickens because the high calcium content can damage their little kidneys.  You should be able to get kibbled chick food from your local farm store or pet shop, or online.  Greens and bread etc can be fed occasionally as a treat.

If you're going to keep all 6 birds I'd make your chook coop at least 5 by 5 meters if possible.  Make sure there's a warm inside area with laying boxes.  Try to make the coop predator-proof, since all sorts of animals like to attack chooks.

Make sure you keep them warm (inside perhaps, or get them a heat lamp) until they're fully feathered up.  When they're still tiny and covered mostly in down they can't regulate their own body temperature well, in a natural situation they should still be with their mother who would keep them warm by snuggling with them.

Enjoy your chooks!  I have a flock and they're heaps of fun.

Baby Chickens Help Please!?

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