Raising Egg-Laying Chickens at Every Stage of Life

Learn how to care for your flock from chicks to adult hens.

The day you bring a new batch of chicks into your home is an exciting time. But the added responsibility of caring for your new birds can be a bit daunting. Especially if you are a first-time chicken owner.

Chickens require different care in each stage of their life, much like humans. Therefore, before you commit to raising chickens, it’s important to consider that you not only have to learn to take care of your birds as babies, but also as teenagers, adults, and seniors.

With this guide from Blain’s Farm & Fleet, you’ll get the information you need to properly care for your chickens in all stages of their lives. In no time, you’ll be a pro at raising happy, healthy chickens that will live well into their golden years.

Stage 1: Chicks (Weeks 1-4)

Weeks one to four in a chicken’s life are considered the “chick phase.” This is the stage where your birds are the most vulnerable. That’s why it’s important to start them out strong with the following care.

Housing

You can buy a chick brooder. Or you can make your own out of chicken wire, a dog kennel, a water trough, or even a large cardboard box.

Regardless of the type of brooder you use, it’s important to make sure that it’s secure. This is so predators can’t get in and the chicks can’t get out.

Cover the bottom of the brooder with soft, dry bedding. You’ll want to clean the brooder regularly, as dirty and wet bedding can put your chicks at risk for getting sick.

Heat

Chicks can easily get chilled, so you’ll need to provide them with a heat source by using a heat lamp with a red-shaded bulb. White lights can provide too much light and disrupt your chicks’ sleep.

Be sure to fasten your heat lamp to a secure location to prevent fire-hazards. And put them in an area that allows your birds to escape the direct heat if they get too warm.

You’ll want to keep the brooder at about 95° F for the first week. And then continue to lower the temperature by 5° per week, until the chicks are ready to go to their adult coop.

Food

We highly recommend you feed your chicks a chick starter feed that contains amino acids, probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins, and minerals. This will ensure they get the nourishment they need to develop. You can also buy medicated chick starter feed that can help your chicks fight against illnesses.

We also recommend you use a feeder that’s designed for chicks. This is so they can get access to food without the risk of injury.

Water

Like every other living thing, chicks need constant access to water. Use waterers that are designed specifically for chicks. Using adult waterers or a bowl can increase the risk of your chicks getting wet or drowning.

If you want to give your chicks a health boost, you can also buy electrolytes made specifically for chicks. Add this to their water.

Chicks require more of your time and care during the first four weeks, so it’s important to plan your schedule accordingly. Don’t plan on taking any vacations during this time, unless you have an experienced and trusted animal sitter available to help you out.

Stage 2: Teenagers (Weeks 5-18)

At about week five, chicks start transitioning to their next stage of life, which is the teenage phase. From here on out, female chicks are referred to as pullets and male chicks are referred to as cockerels.

This stage is where their fluff starts to be replaced by feathers, and they begin to develop features that relate to their gender. If you have a cockerel, you may even hear them attempt to crow.

Housing

Once your chicks have all their feathers, which is usually around week eight, they no longer need heat. So you can start transitioning them to their adult home, a regular chicken coop.

Start by having them spend a couple hours during the day in their new home. And then gradually increase this, until they can live there full time.

Since the birds are still relatively small, make sure the adult coop and run are secure to keep them safe from predators.

Food

At about the same time you start transitioning your pullets and cockerels to their new home, you can start introducing them to adult chicken feed in an adult feeder. Start by mixing three parts starter feed with one-part layer feed. Each week, gradually add more layer feed to the mix until it is completely layer feed.

As you transition to layer feed, you’ll need to make sure the feed has no more than 1.25% calcium. Too much calcium in these teenagers’ diets can severely disrupt your birds’ growing process.

Water

You will want to transition into an adult waterer during this stage, as the chick waterer will quickly become too small. This results in the waterer getting dirty more often and you spending more time refilling it.

Electrolytes are no longer necessary at this stage in your bird’s life. Their immune system should be strong enough by now to thrive without them.

Stage 3: Adults (Weeks 18+)

Adulthood for chickens is typically signified by the laying of their first egg and experiencing their first feather molt. This can start as early as 18 weeks.

At this point, your chickens should look like adult birds. During this stage, caring for your birds is rather simple and requires less time.

Housing

Your laying hens should now be in an adult coop that has plenty of space for them to roam. If you plan on keeping your chickens fenced in, you should have about two square feet of space per chicken.

If you plan to let your chickens free roam, then space isn’t an issue. You just need to make sure your birds are safe from predators, especially at night.

The coop should also contain clean nesting boxes, as you’ll now be getting consistent eggs from your hens. Be sure to keep the nesting boxes and bedding clean to decrease the chance of the eggs breaking or becoming dirty.

Feed

Your chickens will get the nourishment they need from a complete layer feed, along with anything extra they find while roaming.

You can also provide them with extra supplements and treats, like scratch grains, crushed oyster shells, or meal worms.

Stage 4: Seniors

There will come a point in your hen’s life where their egg production starts decreasing, until they stop laying altogether. However, even though they can’t lay eggs anymore, there are still plenty of roles for them in the flock.

If you have a garden or area of your yard that needs tending to, your hens can take care of it. They will also continue to eliminate pests and insects. Plus, they’ll continue to provide you with hours of entertainment.

The only thing they require is a little extra protein in their diet. If all the birds in your flock are in the same stage, you can start feeding them a starter feed again. However, if you still have egg layers in the flock, you can simply add extra supplements to the layer feed.

When raising chickens, it’s important to not only consider their care when they are chicks, but also throughout their entire life cycle.

As animal experts, Blain’s Farm & Fleet has you covered by carrying everything you need to care for your birds at all stages of their lives.

And for more guides and tips for caring for your birds, check out our other Chickens & Poultry articles.