1. Getting Started With Chickens
An introduction to basic care of Broilers and layers
Slide 1
Teacher’s note:
Introduce yourself. If you have time, have group briefly introduce themselves, why they are there or what they hope to learn, or what poultry species they they plan to raise.
Today we’ll discuss the basic care of poultry for small scale production on farm or in backyard. This class is designed for those with little or no experience with poultry. By the end of this workshop I hope you understand the things to think about as you get started, and what you need to do to ensure success, even before the animals arrive.
As we go through the material, please feel free to ask questions at any time. Remember- there is no dumb question, so don’t be afraid to ask anything that comes to mind. If I or other presenters can’t answer your questions immediately, please give us contact information so that we can find the answer and get back to you later. It is important for us to make sure you have the information you need to be successful.
Speakers Name
Speakers Title
Speaker’s Organization
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2. Agenda Determine Goals Poultry Terms Selecting Birds Getting Started
Nutrition
Housing
Pests
More Resources
Slide 2
Here is a basic agenda for our time together in this initial session. This whole program should last about 2-3 hours. We can’t possibly cover everything in detail, so be sure to follow up with us later if there are more questions after tonight.
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3. Why raise Chickens? Produce more of your own meat and/or eggs?
Great project for kids – 4H projects
Learn life’s lessons
Natural cycles, birth to death
Meat comes from animals
Fertilizer for the garden
Develop a Business Enterprise?
Slide 3
What is the purpose for raising poultry?
Are you wanting to raise more of your own food?
Do you want to teach the kids where some food comes from?
What about teaching them the responsibility of caring for animals?
4-H Project?
Ultimately would you like to raise and sell meat and/or eggs for profit?
Try to determine what you’d like to do first, then proceed. Acknowledge that goals may change over time. Interest in raising layers may switch to broilers, or switch from chickens to ducks. Or after the 4-H projects end, so may interest in raising chickens. Goals change.
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4. Terms Chick – Baby chicken Poult – Baby turkey Tom- Adult male turkey
Keet – Baby guinea fowl
Cockerel - A male chicken under one year of age.
Rooster – Adult male
Hackles - A rooster's cape feathers.
Straight run – mixture of males/female chicks
Slide 4
Important to know some of the basic terms used when raising poultry.
Chicks (especially broilers) can be ordered from the hatchery in groups of pullets (females), cockerels (males), and a mixed batch called a “straight run.”
Pullets are usually the cheapest. Cockerels are the most expensive because they grow faster, and they also eat more while doing so. They may cost a few pennies more, but they may way one pound or more than a pullet at time of processing and marketing. With that extra weight you may make more money.
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5. Terms Pullet – Young female Hen – Adult female (ready to lay eggs)
Brooder - Heat source for starting young birds.
Broody - The maternal instinct causing a female to set or want to hatch eggs.
Slide 5
A hen’s behavior may change if/when she goes “broody”. She will sit on the eggs in order to hatch them. She will stop laying eggs until the broody period passes.
It is important to know that some breeds are more susceptible to going broody than others. You don’t want hens that are frequently broody, whether you are producing eggs for home use or for a commercial enterprise.
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6. Breeds
Slide 6
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7. Breeds Basic groups Bantams Egg production Meat production
Brown egg layers (heavies)
White egg layers
Meat production
Cornish Cross
Dual purpose
Bantams
Small versions of others
Slide 7
Choosing a breed of bird is directly related to your overarching goals. There are tradeoffs no matter which direction you go. If you are in an urban setting or want birds to produce only for you own consumption, you may lean toward dual purpose birds that provide some meat and some eggs, but neither as efficiently as birds that are developed specifically for meat or egg production. They may offer other traits that are more amenable to a backyard setting, such as having a beautiful coat of feathers, or being docile enough to be friendly toward children. You might even choose birds that are more exotic, but make fun pets while producing eggs.
If you are planning to raise birds for an egg or meat production enterprise, then you may choose other varieties of birds that are more efficient at laying eggs or turning feed into meat. Other factors, such as how they’ll be raised, need to be considered. Will they be raised inside only, or will they roam in a backyard or pasture? Chickens need to be hardy to be raised out in a pasture setting.
Heavy Breeds
If you live in a region with cold winters, chicken breeds that are classified as "heavy" might matter to you. Heavy breeds have thicker bodies and denser feathers, and are happier in the cold than non-heavy breeds. They're more likely to continue laying eggs through the winter as well.
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8. Laying Breeds Breed dictates egg shell color
White – primarily Leghorns
Brown – “heavies”
“Easter Eggs” -- Araucanas
The egg is the same inside…
Slide 8
Egg color might be an important part of why you might select a particular breed of bird. While there is no evidence to suggest that egg nutritional quality is dictated by egg color, none the less many people believe that brown eggs are better for you than white eggs. They are willing to pay more for these eggs as well.
The color of the yoke is affected by what the birds eat. If they are on pasture, the yokes will be darker. This is appealing to many people, but the nutrition is much the same.
Leghorns are the industry standard for egg production. They are primarily used in commercial egg production enterprises.
Birds that are better suited to colder climates are know as “heavies”. Heavy breeds have thicker bodies and denser feathers, and overall fare better in the cold than non-heavy breeds. They're more likely to continue laying eggs through the winter as well, though without supplemental heat and light, egg production will decline.
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9. Laying Breeds
Brown egg layers were traditionally more practical, especially for outdoor production.
Meatier bird (future soup)
Brown eggs harder to candle (not an issue in the past)
More docile, easy care
Did not fit the industrial model
Slightly less production
A brown-egg layer has been developed to produce at the commercial level.
“There’s “trade-off’s” with each breed
Ex. Egg production for hardiness
Slide 9
Until the early part of the 20th century, laying hens were commonly kept even on a small plot of land. People produced their own eggs and meat, so dual purpose birds could supply both, and they were hard creatures. Hence their popularity. With the rise of commercial egg and meat production, specialization became the focus, so breeds that could produce eggs or meat more efficiently became the birds of choice.
Consequently the Leghorn gained popularity in the commercial industry, while the dual-purpose birds declined. However, birds have been bred to produce brown eggs commercially, and come close to matching the Leghorn in number of eggs laid per year. One example is the Hubbard Gold Comet.
Candling refers to shining a light through egg shells, to see if there are any impurities such as blood spots inside the egg. All eggs must be candled prior to sale. Blood spots are only a cosmetic issue for the consumer. None the less, because blood spots are unsightly, blemished eggs should be removed from those to be sold.
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10. Laying Breeds- Leghorns
Excellent egg layers
White egg shell
High strung
Small, noisy bird with great style,
Leghorns like to move about.
Good foragers
Most numerous breed today.
Rarely go broody
Not a good choice for first experience
Slide 10
Leghorns
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11. Laying Breeds- Buff Orpington
Heavy dual purpose
Lost popularity partly because of its white skin.
Loosely feathered, appearing massive.
Endure cold temperatures
Good foragers
Docile, brown eggs
Will go broody, good mothers.
Various colors
Slide 11
Buff Orpington
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12. Layers- Plymouth Rock Good general farm chicken Docile
Many color combos
Normally show broodiness
Some strains are good brown egg layers while others are bred for meat.
Good mothers.
Not aggressive and tame quite easily
Slide 12
Plymouth Rock
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13. Layers- Rhode Island Red
A good choice for the small flock owner
Probably the best brown egg layers of the dual purpose breeds.
Handle marginal diets and poor housing conditions better than other breeds
Some males may be aggressive
Most show broodiness, but may not be present in the best egg production strains.
Slide 13
Rhode Island Red
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14. Layers- Polish An ornamental bird White eggs
Polish are an unusual and beautiful breed.
They have a crest
Some also have a beard and muffs
Sometimes their crests restrict vision and cause them to be easily frightened.
Slide 14
Polish
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15. Layers- Araucanas The "Easter Egg Chicken",
Named from the Indian tribe of Chile
Beautiful colored eggs of blue-green shades from turquoise to deep olive.
Extremely hardy
Good egg production
Slide 15
Araucanas
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16. Layers- Australorp Developed in Australia
A very good brown egg producer
Fairly meaty body
Have intense beetle-green sheen on the black birds, dark eyes, deep bodies and are very active.
One of the best dual-purpose birds
Will go broody
Australorps hold the world's record for egg production
Slide 16
Australorp
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17. New Hampshire Red Brown Eggs
A dual purpose chicken, selected more for meat production than egg production.
it dresses a nice, plump carcass as either a broiler or a roaster.
Used in crosses for “Production Reds”
Slide 17
New Hampshire Red
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18. Sex link Hybrids High egg production Crosses between common breeds
“Golden Comet”
“Golden Sexlink”
“Black Star”
Males/females different color at birth
Slide 18
Sex-links are cross-bred chickens whose color at hatching is differentiated by sex, thus making chick sexing an easier process. Sex-links come in many varieties, few of which are a true breed. Sex-links can be extremely good egg-layers which often produce 300 eggs a year or more depending on the quality of care and feed. (
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19. Meat Breeds Bred for meat production
Can lay eggs, but not their talent
Most meat breeds are “crosses”
Hybrid vigor
Some are very fast growing – to a fault…
Can have leg and heart problems, but can be managed with feeding
Slide 19
Meat breeds have been selected over time for fast, efficient production of meat. Because they are so inexpensive to raise, compared to other meat producing animals, poultry consumption is rapidly increasing around the world, second only to pork for world wide consumption.
Feed management will be discussed in another section.
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20. Cornish-Cross Meat Birds
Developed as the ultimate meat bird
The backbone of vast broiler industry
Produces a lot of breast meat. (Preferred by consumers.)
Crossed with White Rocks for fast growing broilers.
Slide 20
Cornish-Cross are the most commonly produced meat bird. They grow fast and convert feed to meat very efficiently, and are ready to process in 6-8 weeks.
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21. Hybrid Meat Breeds Cornish-Cross tend to be non-foraging
Just want to eat and grow!
Not good for bug patrol
Can produce a 4-6 lb carcass in as little as 6-8 weeks
Slide 21
Because they grow so fast, and also because they develop a very large amount of breast meat, walking becomes more difficult as they approach market weight. Consequently they are not necessarily a great bird for outdoor production, as they tend to stay by the feeders, without foraging on bugs or grass. However, because of their efficient feed conversion and rapid growth, many farmers prefer to use CornishX birds on pasture.
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22. Hybrid Meat Breeds Red Rangers- American version of Label Rouge bird.
Slower-growing, weeks to reach 4-5 lbs carcass weight.
Great foragers for bugs and pasture.
Excellent meat quality! Leaner carcass.
Slide 22
There are other birds that have been developed for pasture production, that are better than Cornish X at foraging for pasture, bugs, and other edibles. Those breeds, along with the Cornish X, can be purchased at a commercial hatchery. The foraging breeds include but are not limited to Red Rangers, Red Broilers, Label Rouge (a French breed) birds sold under the name Freedom Rangers, Naked Neck, and Black Broilers. The birds are slower growing, so a little older at marketing, and consequently are not quite as tender as Cornish X, but arguably have more flavor.
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23. Getting Started When Ordering Chicks:
Hatcheries can be found online and by searching Poultry U.
Plan their arrival around their departure. For broilers, have processing and a market lined up in advance. For layers, know where they will go as they mature and begin to lay eggs.
Broilers can be ordered in a group of cockerels (males), pullets (females), or a straight run (a batch of both cockerels and pullets). Layer chicks are all females.
Vaccinate against Coccidiosis. Layers against Mareks.
Slide 23
Hatcheries will often send more birds than you ordered, because some will likely die in transit. That is a reality. Birds can be shipped to a post office or feed store near where you live. Travel time should be overnight if possible.
As chicks hatch, they have enough nutrients to survive about 3 days without food and water. However, the longer they go without, the weaker they become. They need to be shipped and received as quickly as possible, and given food and water. It’s a good idea to dunk their beaks in the water trough, so they know where it is. They will drink a lot of water when given the chance. Cockerels are a little more expensive, but grow faster, and sometimes weight a pound heavier at processing. An extra pound of carcass at processing can add another $3-$5 of income per bird. They will also eat more feed, so intake should be managed.
Coccidiosis is a disease that causes diarrhea in chickens, most commonly in young chicks. Can easily lose large numbers of birds to this problem. The vaccine works well and can be given at the hatchery. It is sprayed onto the head and back. The young chicks peck at each other, and in the process ingest the vaccine. At around $.15-$.18 cents per bird, it is well worth it. Mareks disease was a tremendous problem in the layer industry in the 1960’s and 1970’s affecting flocks and causing death in as many as 80% of the birds in a flock. The vaccine was then developed and it is now much less of a concern. Marek’s disease is a type of avian cancer. Not as common in small scale or backyard production.
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24. Getting Started Chicks $1 to $3 each Feeders can be purchased or made
A few dollars/feeder
Make your own – rain gutter or pvc pipe
Waterers more expensive
Can use buckets, pans, old pots/pans
Feed most expensive variable cost.
Slide 24
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25. Getting Started Preparing for their Arrival
Clean space, warm, draft-free.
Wood shavings, sawdust, straw.
90-95 degrees for the first week of life. Lower 5 degrees per week.
Infrared vs incandescent.
Feed and water set up. Different feed for broilers vs layers. More on this later.
Slide 25
It’s important to have feeders and waterers that are appropriate for chicks, so they can eat and drink easily. It’s a good idea to dunk their beaks in the water trough, so they know where it is. They will drink a lot of water upon arrival.
It’s also important to reduce any draft, but at the same time, a constant supply of fresh air is needed. Monitor the air for ammonia build-up. You can smell it. Add layers of bedding to reduce the ammonia odor, or clean out the wet and dirty spots. Bedding around the waterers will need to be removed regularly.
Wood shavings are the best. They absorb moisture, and the pieces are too big for the birds to eat. Sawdust can be used if it’s inexpensive, but the chicks can eat and inhale it, which can be a problem. Straw doesn’t absorb much at all, but if it is readily available and cheap or free, just keep adding layers of straw on a regular basis. It will work just fine.
Incandescent bulbs heat the air, which is needed in cold weather. The birds are freer to roam because the air is warmer. However, the bright light makes the birds more agitated and aggressive. The infrared bulbs only heat living creatures, and not the surrounding air, so they are better used when the ambient air temperature is reasonably warm. The birds need to be under the bulb to feel its effect. The low intensity of the light makes does not make the birds agitated or aggressive.
You can simply observe the birds behavior regarding their comfort level. If they are all gathering under the heat lamp, then they are feeling cold. If they are roam the area away from the heat lamp, then they are more comfortable. You can raise or lower the temperature by raising or lowering the heat lamp above the birds. BE CAREFUL TO AVOID A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD!
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26. Management steps to Help Them Thrive
Clean water twice daily
Limit feed after the first week, for the next 3-4 weeks, to avoid Flip Disease.
Clean bedding around the waterers frequently to avoid ammonia buildup.
Keep area bio-secure.
In hot weather, 85+ degrees, pull feed during the hottest part of the day. You’ll save birds.
Slide 26
It’s important to clean the water trough twice a day, because the birds will get it dirty very quickly with bedding and manure. In warm weather, provide fresh water twice daily. Birds need a lot of water, but they will drink less when the water is warm and/or dirty.
Flip disease is essentially a heart attack from overeating. It usually occurs as they approach market weight. The biggest birds will be found laying on their backs, dead. This can be avoided by limiting access to feed in the early stage of life. Provide access 24/7 to feed for the first week. After that, pull the feed for about 12 hours per day. Do so for the next 3-4 weeks. After week 4, they will be fully feathered, so that the heat lamp can be removed or reduced in use. If the weather is such that supplemental heat is still on then pull the feed. If they have only natural light at that age, with night setting in they will quit eating and settle down for the night.
If you have older birds, feed the younger ones first. Keep visitors, rodents and wild birds away from the young chicks, as much as possible.
In hot weather, pull the feed at about 10:00 a.m., or by noon at the latest. Then put it back in the evening. If the birds have access to feed, they’ll keep eating, even though they are stressed, which may induce heart failure for some of them.
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27. Feeds and Feeding Single greatest variable cost is feed
Nutrient needs varies with age and stage
Chicks need higher protein than adults
Meat birds need protein and energy
Layers need more calcium (oyster shells)
Grit needed to digest whole grains given to adult birds.
Slide 27
Feed is expensive. Proper management of feeding will help greatly toward becoming profitable.
Feed rations vary according to age/stage of the bird’s life, and also whether it is a meat bird or a layer. DO NOT feed layer chicks feed that is meant for broilers. There is a starter/grower diet for broilers, and a starter/grower diet for layers. Broiler starter feed is often 20-24% protein, whereas layer starter feed is around 18% protein.
Nutrients are used to provide the needs of three metabolic functions- growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Growth needs the most energy and protein, followed by reproduction, and then maintenance.
Grit helps digest large particles of food. Certainly needed with whole grains, not so much with purchased feeds. If they are on pasture they probably need grit.
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28. Feeds and Feeding Conventional, transitional, organic feeds.
Organic has organic standards to follow. No chicken feed has added hormones.
Commercial feeds can be purchased with or without medication. Be sure to look at the label.
Purchasing blended feed from local grain elevator may be the most economical.
Slide 28
Purchase or prepare feed according to the production protocol and marketing program you want to develop.
Feed comes in three forms: mash, crumbles, and pellets.
Mash prepared at the local feed mill will be the least expensive. Mash doesn’t flow as well in most feeders. It needs to be monitored regularly to make sure feed is dropping down where the birds can eat it.
Conventional feed may contain GMO grain (Genetically Modified Organisms), and the feed may be medicated or not. This feed, whether mash, crumbles, or pellets, is the least expensive of the three.
Transitional feed is harvested from land that is in the process of becoming certified organic. The grain is essentially organic, but not yet certified, so is often less expensive than certified organic.
Organic feeds are made with grains that have been certified by a 3rd party auditor.
If you are comfortable with it, a conventional feed may be just fine. It may contain GMO grain, and it also can be purchased as a medicated or non-medicated feed.
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29. Feeds and Feeding
Chickens are omnivores. They eat meat, bugs, snakes, frogs, mice, table scraps, as well as grains and forage.
Pastured birds will still need a balanced feed ration available.
Insects and forage will only supply a small portion of the nutrients needed.
Slide 29
Chickens are not vegetarians by choice. They like and look for a variety of foods.
Pasture and insects can only supply a small portion of the dietary needs of growing or laying birds. The quality and quantity of forage varies greatly over the course of spring/summer/fall.
The supply of bugs also varies over that time period. Consequently don’t rely on whatever nutrients that pasture or bugs may supply to make up for poor quality or small amounts of feed. They will need adequate supplies of balanced feed rations in order to perform well.
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30. Feeds and Feeding
Two-phase Feeding for Broilers. High protein diet for rapid growth.
Starter Feed % protein. Feed for the first 1-4 weeks.
Grower Feed % protein. Feed to finish weight.
Slide 30
Broiler chicks need a higher protein diet than do layer chicks. Broilers are on a fast-growth diet that will take them to market at 6-14 weeks of age. Start broilers on a diet that is at least 20-24% protein. By week 4, they can be finished on a diet that is 18-20% protein.
Remember to limit feed for weeks 2-4. They will likely still be under heat lamps, so pull the feed at night. When they are fully feathered and no longer need heat at night, they will stop eating as nighttime settles in.
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31. Feeds and Feeding
Broilers will consume 2 lbs (average) feed/lb gain. National average is 1.9 lbs feed/lb gain.
Cornish cross will be the most efficient at growth/feed conversion. A 5-6 lb carcass at 8 weeks of age.
Red Rangers will take weeks to produce a 4.5 lb carcass.
Dressing weight is 70-75%.
Slide 31
No comments needed.
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32. Feeds and Feeding
3-4-phase feeding program for layers. Designed for slower growth, less protein, a program designed for egg production
Pullet Starter- 0-6 weeks, 18-20% p
Pullet Grower weeks, 16-18% p
Pullet Developer weeks-14-16% p
Layer- 20+ Weeks, 16-18% p
Slide 32
Layer chicks need to grow more slowly so that they can build stronger bones to support them during a longer life span. The layer chick diet thus needs less protein and more calcium than would be found in a broiler diet.
Layer chicks, unlike broiler chicks, can be on full feed throughout (ad libitum). They are not susceptible to "flip over". They have a smaller mature weight and the diet composition is of a lower nutrient density for egg layer chicks. 
Depending on what feed rations are available, the grower/developer feed is often combined. So for example, the chicks could be on a 14%-18% protein developer diet during weeks 7-20 without problem. Their need for protein gradually declines during this period, so the higher protein is not necessary and extra expense, but it might be the only feed available. As they begin to lay eggs, switch to a 16% layer diet for the rest of their productive lifespan. They will need extra calcium or oyster shell throughout, which is often supplied in the feed ration, to keep bones strong and lay eggs with strong shells.
DO NOT FEED LAYER FEED UNTIL THE BIRDS ARE ACTUALLY LAYING EGGS. The high calcium and phosphorous content in layer feed can build up in the kidneys, and be fatal to immature birds.
Remember to limit feed for weeks 2-4.
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33. Egg Production Slide 33 Egg Production
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34. Egg Production Pullets begin laying 5-6 months (20-24 weeks)
Production actually peaks at weeks of age. Declines thereafter.
Takes 25 hours to produce an egg- 2 eggs/3 days.
Don’t need a rooster, unless you want fertilized eggs for hatching - or alarm clock
Will molt at weeks of age.
Slide 34
Hens can actually live and lay eggs for years. However, by that age they may only produce one egg per week. If they are family pets, egg production may not matter, but if eggs are raised for a commercial operation, then economics will dictate that birds be culled and replaced with younger hens (pullets).
In the commercial sector birds are often replaced at 72 weeks of age. For most birds, egg production will fall below 50% of peak by weeks of age.
Molting is a natural, yearly occurrence, during which birds lose and replace feathers. It usually takes place in late summer or early fall, and will last for weeks. During the molt the hens will stop producing eggs. They need extra protein during this time, best provided by meat/fish/worms/sprouted grains.
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35. Egg Production Pick eggs daily (or more often). They will be cleaner.
Don’t clean if not dirty.
If you sell eggs, follow state and federal egg rules.
Slide 35
Eggs will be cleaner if you can collect them once or twice daily. If they are only dirty, lightly scrub them with a sanding sponge or a nylon scouring pad. An egg covered with manure or laying on the floor outside the box is too dirty to be used. Throw it away.
Don’t clean if not dirty. Eggs are covered with a natural “bloom” that seals the egg to keep it fresh, and to prevent bacteria from entering the egg. Cleaning will remove the bloom and make it more susceptible to bacterial contamination.
A clean nesting box will help keep eggs cleaner.
The sale of eggs is regulated at the state and federal level.
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37. Thank You! Questions?
This product was developed with support from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed within do not necessarily reflect the view of the SARE program or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.