Raising Urban Chickens

A couple things to remember when raising chickens:

1. Chickens can live over 24 hours without food and water right after hatching. Once they get food and water they can no longer go without.
2. During the first week of life chickens need to be kept at 95 degrees. Every week thereafter, chickens need less subsidized heat. Using a heat lamp is an easy way to provide heat.
3. New chickens need chick starter. Adding grit to the feed can also help with digestion.
1. If you are against medicated feed, simply pull some weeds "roots and dirt intact" and give that to the chickens with their organic feed. This will help build immunity to disease found in their environment.
4. Keep your water far away from the heat source. This reduces the risk of bacteria forming in the water. It also keeps the water cool.
5. You can see eggs as early as 4 months from when you get your birds. That's if you purchase birds in February, but if you purchase chicks in May then you might not see eggs for 6 to 8 months. It all depends on how much sun light the chicken gets.