2025 Spring Homeland | Raising Chickens 101

With egg prices skyrocketing, chicks are in high demand this spring. Planning ahead can help set your poultry experience up for success, said Robin Halley, Morgan County, Colorado Extension Director and Livestock Agent. First time chicken keepers can start a flock with confidence and a few tips from experienced bird owners.   

“Are you wanting to have some eggs or some meat birds, or just wanting a little hobby chicken like bantams?” he asked. 

Once you’ve answered these questions, finding a source of chicks will be the next challenge. Many hatcheries are sold out for months in advance this spring due to high demand, but most will still have a few assorted “extras” available on hatch days. This can be a relatively inexpensive way to get layers and meat birds, although you will not have the option to select a specific breed.  

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“I always tell people not to be scared of those,” Halley said. “They are not lesser quality; a hatchery usually has chicks left over after they have fulfilled all of their orders.”  

Meat birds 

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Cornish-Rock cross birds are bred for fast growth, feed efficiency and plump, meaty bodies, and are the usual choice for raising meat birds. Heavy breed cockerels are a good second option, frequently available at lower cost. Light breed cockerels, such as leghorns, tend to be very inexpensive, but not very productive meat birds. 

“Cornish cross are usually ready to butcher in six weeks from the day you get them.” Halley said. “They will pretty much do a pound of growth for every pound of feed they eat. Once they’re ready to process, it is important to do it pretty quick or they are liable to have leg trouble due to their rapid growth. These birds do not work well at high altitude, as they can have heart and leg issues.” 

Traditional farm birds won’t have as large of breasts or legs as the Cornish cross birds, but they are more economical to buy. Since they grow more slowly, they are not as feed efficient but they perform well at high altitudes and don’t have the leg or heart problems the Cornish cross birds tend to have.  

“They are more economical, and some ethnical groups prefer them,” Halley said.  

Laying Hens 

When starting a layer flock, many considerations come into play. Within climate and environmental parameters, choose a breed you think will work well for you. Calmer breeds do better in confined areas and with small children around. More active breeds are better at foraging and do well in free range situations.  

“Aerial predators love white chickens and can get them easily,” Halley said. “If you’re in an area with hawks, eagles or owls you might want to choose a colored breed.”  

Hatcheries provide specific information about the breeds of birds they offer, including mature size, disposition, broodiness, egg color and size, and average number of eggs laid per bird per year.  

“Smaller breeds are usually a little more flighty than some of the heavier breeds,” Halley said. “The light and medium weight birds, like a Leghorn or some of the hybrids available often lay the most eggs. Heavier breeds are usually pretty good layers and usually have a pretty good attitude. Americaunas, that produce colored eggs, are some of the hardiest and best egg producing birds there are. Some of the fancier breeds such as Brahmas or Bantams, don’t produce as many eggs as the standard breed chickens.” 

Pullets usually start laying eggs around six months of age. It is not necessary to have a rooster with the hens for them to lay eggs, unless you plan to hatch chicks. 

“It does take a roster to hatch a chick, but not to lay an egg,” Halley said. “Hens will set on infertile eggs, but they will spoil.” 

Whether you prefer white eggs, brown eggs, or rainbow-colored eggs, Halley said that the nutritional value of the egg has nothing to do with the color of the shell. 

“It’s all about what they’re being fed,” he said. “Egg production will always be better with a complete laying ration, but when your birds are mature you can use cheaper feed such as screenings or scratch.” 

Once chickens are fully feathered out, most are fairly cold-hardy. Breeds with larger combs and wattles are susceptible to frost bite in cold weather. Rose-comb breeds and breeds with small combs do well in winter months. Brahmas and other heavy breeds are more susceptible to heat than smaller breeds, but all birds will need shade in the hot summer months. 

Except for their molt period, it is possible to keep chickens laying over the cold winter months. Keeping them warm, well fed and using artificial light to give them more “daylight hours” are key factors. 

“It’s more about the light,” said Halley.  

In nature, wild birds lay their eggs in the spring. As the hours of daylight lengthen, this stimulates the females to start laying. Domestic birds such as chickens have been selected to continue to produce eggs year-round, but they still tend to lay more heavily in the spring season. Giving the flock extra light hours during the winter can trick their bodies into thinking that spring is coming, and give you a few more winter eggs. 

Another trick Halley has tried involves sprinkling a little bit of cumin on the hens’ feed during the winter months. 

“It just takes a little bit, a spoonful for every 10-15 pounds of feed,” he said. 

When spring arrives, certain breeds will mimic their wild ancestors by trying to set on a nest and hatch eggs.  

“They forget they’re supposed to be laying,” Halley said. 

It’s not difficult to discourage this behavior by removing the hen from the nest and taking the eggs away every day. If you do want to “set” a broody hen, she needs her own spot with her eggs, or other hens will keep laying in that nest and none of the eggs will be properly incubated. 

“Some hens that are free range will hatch a set of chicks and you won’t even know,” Halley said. “They’re going to absolutely find a place where they can set their eggs.” 

Preparing for chicks  

An old water tank makes a great brooder, Halley said. Keeping baby chicks warm is vital to keeping them alive and healthy. 

“A little old sheep tank makes absolutely the best brooder. It will keep the drafts out; you can use wood or cardboard, but any air seeping through can sure chill them in a hurry. If they get cold, they don’t recover well; it’s hard to bring them back.” 

Put a heat light up about a foot off the bottom of the tank, and adjust the height as needed to keep the chicks comfortable. If they’re too cold, they will all huddle under the light; if they’re too warm, they’ll go as far away from the heat source as possible and hold their wings away from their bodies. 

“I highly suggest putting newspaper down for the first few days,” Halley said. “You can scatter their feed out on the newspaper and that helps them get started on feed. It is really important as you unload the chicks at home to dip their beaks in the water and then in the feeder before you turn them loose. The chicks will remember that dip in the water and go looking for it.” 

Supplements added to their water can be added but are not completely necessary unless they are stressed by bad weather or other factors. Putting colorful marbles in the water dish is a way attract the attention of the birds and encourage them to drink. Shavings can be used for bedding, but Halley prefers to use newspaper until the chicks are well started on feed to prevent confusion and starvation from eating shavings instead of feed. Feeding chick starter and grower, or whatever complete poultry feed is available is important until the birds are mature. 

If chicks are ordered through the mail, it’s important to open the box right away at the post office and check their condition. Always order from a source close enough that the chicks arrive within two days of when they hatch. 

“Every hatchery I’ve ever worked with stands behind their birds,” Halley said.  

Avian Influenza continues to be a concern, but simple measures can help mitigate risk. Wear a dedicated pair of gloves and boots when caring for poultry. Avoid exposure to wild birds and limit traffic of other animals to the area. Purchase chicks from a NPIP certified hatchery, if at all possible.  

“I won’t tell anyone not to get chicks from their neighbors, but it’s a good idea to ask about their biosecurity measures,” Halley said. “Risk is much lower with a hatchery. They are following a protocol every day. Workers wear protective equipment and most are showering in and out. You have a higher chance of keeping birds healthier that way.” 

Avian influenza is “not going anywhere,” he said. “The best thing to do is your best.” 

Keeping chickens may not be a “cheap” alternative to buying expensive eggs, but it is a rewarding and enjoyable process. 

“Right now, everyone is trying to get ahold of chickens,” Halley said. 

Your local Extension office can provide specific resources and information for your area, Halley said.  

“The great thing is you can walk into any of them with any question. The person to answer it might not be in that office, but they’re going to find the answer or the person who can find it for you. That’s what I love about the Extension service and the work we do.”  

Supply and Demand 

Susan Miller and her husband own and operate Millers Landscaping Materials and Feed in Fort Morgan, Colorado.  Chick sales are up nearly 52 percent over last year for their business, and would probably be higher if she could get more chicks into the store.  

Miller was amazed when she ran the numbers. 

“I knew it was going to be up but didn’t expect it to be by that much,” Miller said. “My husband and I agreed we could have hired one person full-time just to take care of chicks for the first three or four months of this year and they would be busy.” 

Every year in December, Millers pre-order chicks for the coming season, January through June, and she bases those pre-order numbers off of the previous spring’s chick sales.  

This year, demand is off the charts. 

“Everyone is calling, wanting chicks,” she said. “We could have easily doubled our orders if we had any idea this would happen.” 

Miller is not having problems with her pre-ordered chicks arriving from the hatchery in Texas. Most years she can add on to an order if someone requests another 15-20 birds, but not this year.  

“This year they are sold out, and now they are telling us that it will be at least May if not June if we want to add anything.” 

The pre-ordered chicks are sold out before they get to Millers this year. Many of the customers are new to raising chickens, and Miller hopes it will be a good experience. Like anything new, raising chickens is a learning process. 

“Chicks are easy,” she said, “but you can get all the information and you still have to experience it.” 

Will the demand be as high again next year? A lot depends on the commercial egg supply. But often, when people try raising chickens for the first time, they get hooked. 

“Once they try it, they’re like, ‘hey, I can do this,'” Miller said.