Frequently Asked Questions

-Yes, 2 to 4 percent.

Yes, chicks are guaranteed alive on arrival. Any losses are refunded or replaced.

-Birds are shipped USPS Priority Mail 1–2-day delivery in special carboard boxes.

-St Run Is a mix of males and females. Pullets all females. Cockerels all males.

There are no additional shipping charges.

On average, each bird will consume around 10 pounds of feed during the first six weeks. They will eat between 3 to 4 pounds of feed a week after six weeks.

22 Percent starter/grower. 19 percent finisher.

Layers can live as long as ten years but only lay eggs for three. Broilers typically are butchered after 8 to 14 weeks but can live longer.

Our breeds are limited to flight but if determined could jump up on a six-foot fence.

Yes, but they will come in at night to roost on their own typically.

Hens will cluck and loudly announce the arrival of their eggs. Roosters are louder crowing regularly. Check with your local regulations to see if chickens are allowed.

Not with water but they do dust themselves. Providing a location of land, they can dust in is beneficial.

Chicks can spend a little time outdoors when they’ve reached two weeks. A large wire cage or some other type of portable enclosure can be placed outside for a few hours a day – but only if it’s at least 65F and not too windy, and not rainy! The birds will need food, water, and shade, and shouldn’t be left alone for very long. Predators are everywhere when you’re a small chick!

Once they’ve reached four to five weeks, the chicks can be moved permanently into the outdoor chicken run.

The answer to this depends on several factors:

• Local ordinances and bylaws.
• The space you have available.
• The practical use you have for eggs or chicken meat – a surfeit is hard to handle, unless you are able to sell it or give it away.
• In general, think in terms of at least 6 sq feet per bird. Overcrowding will result in stress and its related problems and illnesses. Never pack lots of birds into a small space; and make sure each bird has space to perch, and an egg-laying box to call its own.

Probably not but it’s more about the quality of the product you have that is now grown with love in your own backyard.

Chickens need a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, and minerals. Protein is particularly important for growing chickens and for producing eggs. A good layer will stop producing as many eggs as possible if she doesn’t have enough protein in her diet.

A free ranging hen will be good at finding protein by foraging for meaty insects such as worms, slugs, and snails. But lots of hens today don’t have the ability to find those insects daily so need a feed that has all nutrition she needs. The type of feed you give to your chickens is dictated by the age:

Chicks - From hatching to 5 weeks old chicks will need to be fed ‘chick crumbs. These are roughly 19% protein, and suitable for chicks.

Pullet - From 6 weeks to 18 weeks, chickens do lots of growing so will need a type of feed to help them do that. This feed is called ‘growers’ pellets’ or ‘growers mash’. This feed is typically 15-16% protein.

Laying hens - When your chickens start to lay eggs they will needs to be fed ‘layers pellets’ or ‘layers mash’. This is usually 15-17% protein and will help them to regularly lay eggs.

Your chickens should have a constant supply of food throughout the day. Chickens will eat when they need it and should go to bed with a full crop as they need lots of food to produce eggs. A fully grown chicken will typically eat about 120 grams of layers pellets a day. You should check the feeders every day to ensure they are topped up. It can be a good idea to have two feeders, one inside of their coop run and one outside of their run (if they are free ranging). This will stop any dominant chickens stopping less dominant chickens from getting their share of food.

Water

Your chickens need to always have access to fresh water. You should refresh their water supply daily and ensure that their water drinker is kept clean. In hot weather you should keep the water in the shade and check it more often as chickens will drink more in the hot weather. In very cold weather you will also need to check their water more often as it will freeze over.

Straight run chicks are generally less expensive, but they are roughly 50% females and 50% males. Pullets have been sexed by the hatchery and are usually sexed 90% accurately.

You don't have to, depending on a few factors such as if you're planning to store the eggs, or use them quickly, sell them or give them away.

Most hens start to lay around 4-6 months of age. However, for various reasons (time of year, temperature, etc.) they may wait until the next Spring to start laying eggs.

A broody hen is a hen who is trying to hatch out eggs by sitting on them all day and all night, only taking breaks once a day to eat, drink, and defecate.

About 21 days, though some bantam breeds lay tiny eggs that may hatch around day 18-19. Turkeys 28 days.

Generally, one box for every 4 hens.