How to Purchase Chicks

By eHow Pets Editor

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When purchasing chicks, decide whether they'll be for meat, eggs, or both. If you're interested in hatching your own, see the related eHow "How to Hatch Chicks."

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Chick Feeders
Chicken Coops
Chicken Waterers
Baby Chick Grit
Chicken Dusting Powder
Chicks

Step1

Buy chicks from a reliable source, such as a commercial hatchery.

Step2

Decide on the breed and sex. Chicks can be purchased as straight-run (meaning both males and females) or sexed, which will be a little more expensive.

Step3

Check with the hatchery about vaccinating the chicks for Marek's disease.

Step4

Notify your post office of the shipment of your chicks, and arrange to pick them up upon arrival.

Step5

Prepare an area for the chicks ahead of time.

Step6

Cull any dead or sick chicks immediately, and notify the company for a replacement or refund.

Tips & Warnings

Meat birds are larger and grow fast. Layers are medium-sized birds that you can use for meat, but are best for eggs. Bantams are the small-sized chickens and lay small eggs. They are more of a pet or show animal.
Start with healthy chicks for the best and happiest results of your 4-H project.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 When the post office calls you about the chicks arrival make sure to pick them up A.S.A.P even if it is 11:30 at night. The chicks need your attenion and will need every thing you have provided for them, For they have not eaten or drank for there intire trip.

The chicks will come in a little box with hay in them. They will be noisy when you pick them up, there will be no sorce of water in the box and will be very crowded. once agian the chicks need your attenion.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 If you are hatching an egg without an incubator, or with just a heat lamp, here are some helpful things you need to know.

First, get a bucket. Put hay in the bucket (no wood bedding, the woods chemicals will harm the chicks). Before you put the eggs in the bucket, buy a heat lamp and put a 60 to 65 watt light bulb in and plug it up. Put the lamp over the bucket and put the eggs in the bucket. All you have to do after that is keep the light on at all times and flip the eggs 2 to 3 times a day. After the eggs hatch, make sure the brooder (the house you are keeping them in) is complete and ready for the chicks to go in.

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