How do you grow chickens?

Answer 1

Chickens are hatched from an egg. The fertilized egg is incubated for 21 days at a temperature between 99 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit and a 60 to 80 percent humidity level. If a mechanical incubator is used instead of a broody hen the eggs must be rotated several times a day to assist with the hatch.

After the chicks are hatched they need to be kept warm and out of drafts. A broody hen does this by allowing her chicks to snuggle under her wings. If there is no mother chicken the chicks need a heat lamp to warm themselves under and space so they can leave the heat if desired. The temperature under the brooder lamp should be 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week and lower by 5 degrees each week until the chicks are fully feathered.

Chicks are able to feed themselves immediately after hatching. They need a chicken crumble feed that contains between 20 and 24 percent protein while they are little. They also need a constant supply of fresh water placed in a shallow pan with rocks in the bottom to prevent drowning or a water fount at all times.

They begin feathering out almost immediately and are usually fully feathered within 4 to 6 weeks. They are mature at 5 to 6 months and that is when the young female chickens, called pullets will begin to lay eggs.