Grow your own chickens
April 8, 2020
Sheila Harris
With days of uncertainty ahead, many people are making plans to grow their own food this year. Some are novices; some are old hands at it, like rural Exeter resident, Sherry Leverich Lotufo, who’s never been long without a garden nor livestock.
She and her husband, Rob Lotufo, are excited about their recent acquisition of a shiny, black Lim-Flex bull to build their beef herd, but they are equally pleased with the animals that grace their yard, including a pet pig, a fluffy sheep dog, a docile chihuahua (of all things), ducks, guineas, and about 20 gorgeous chickens.
Sherry Lotufo, whose chickens are like pets, says it’s too difficult to try to keep an accurate head count of her flock.
“Sometimes in the summer we’ll have eggs hatch; other times a predator will get a hold of one when we’re not looking,” she said.
For her, the number of chickens she has is not as important as the fact that she has some.
“We love having fresh eggs,” she said, “and love having extras to share with friends and neighbors. Plus, I love the chickens.”
She was happy to offer advice to those new to the chicken-rearing concept.
“If you buy baby chicks right now - in the spring - they’ll be laying eggs by fall,” she said. “A rule of thumb is that six hens will generally provide enough eggs for a family of four, once they begin laying.”
“Be set up and ready for your chicks before you bring them home,” she advised. “Have supplies and a secure coop prepared. They won’t need the coop at first, but they’ll grow quickly, so you’ll want to get them out of your house as soon as possible.”
Lotufo starts her baby chicks indoors, in a box or a cage.
“Most farm supply stores have all of the equipment you need to raise chicks,” she continued, “including the chicks themselves.”
According to Bob, the store manager at Tractor Supply in Cassville (who didn’t want his last name published), chick shipments arrive every Wednesday and are sold “first come, first serve.” They usually receive chicks of various varieties.
“We sell both ‘straight runs’ and ‘pullets,’” he said. “A ‘straight run’ is a mixed bag of baby roosters and hens. You take what you get and make the best of them, whereas ‘pullets’ have been sorted by sex and are all female. The pullets cost a bit more, but you know you’ll end up with laying hens, with no rooster required.”
“Customers must buy a minimum of four chicks at our store,” he added.
“For the first week to 10 days after bringing chicks home, keeping them warm is critical,” Lotufo said. “If their environment is not kept between 80 and 90 degrees, they’ll die – just like that. They can’t tolerate cool temperatures. A heat lamp attached above their box or cage will provide the heat they need.”
“Be sure to use a lamp with a red bulb,” Bob, from Tractor Supply, advised. “If you use a white bulb, they’ll think they’re in perpetual daylight.”
“In a pinch,” Lotufo said, “if you don’t have a heat lamp, you can use gallon jugs of hot water placed in their pen, but a lamp is best.”
“Chicks are messy,” Lotufo warned. “You’ll want to line the bottom of their pens with newspaper or shavings – I use newspaper – but it will need to be changed about twice a day, as will their water bowl.”
More advice was forthcoming.
“Chicks eat ‘chick-starter,’ a mix prepared especially for hatchlings. You can find it at farm supply stores. As they grow, you’ll need to switch to different varieties of feed, but the feed stores will have all the directions,” Lotufo added.
“Chicks also need electrolytes added to their water,” Bob, from Tractor Supply, said. “If you get mail-order chicks, you’ll want to hold off on feeding them for about 30 minutes, until after they get some water and electrolytes into their systems. Store-bought chicks are ready to begin eating after you take them home, though.”
“When the chicks are big enough to transfer to an outside coop,” Lotufo said, “don’t just move them in one fell swoop. They need to be tapered off the heat lamp gradually, with time to adjust to a change in environment. On nice days, start setting their cage on the porch or in the sun for gradually increasing intervals over a period of days. If they seem to be tolerating it well, they can be turned out into the coop.”
“Deciding what type of coop to use is tricky,” she admitted. “The farm store can help advise you. A lot depends on the type of varmints you have around. In town, you might not face the same hazards you have in the country. Dogs and cats might be the biggest risk. In the country, there are all kinds of possibilities. We had one chicken killed by a ‘possum. We try to keep a livestock dog around to scare off predators, but even that’s not foolproof. Whereever you live, you’ll want to keep them cooped up at night. We let ours roam free during the day, then pen them up before it gets dark.”
Lotufo warns novices, too, about the molting of hens, a natural process which can be alarming if a person hasn’t encountered it.
“The hens will lose their feathers, stop laying eggs and look like they’re dying,” she said. “It happens every 12 to 18 months or so. It’s perfectly normal. It’s like a period of renewal when they shed old feathers and get new ones.”
“Sometimes hens will want to sit on their nests and try to hatch their eggs,” she said. “They get pretty protective and defensive of them. They’re called ‘broody hens.’ Unless you want baby chicks, it’s best to collect eggs as soon as they’re laid to prevent hens from brooding.”
“An old wives’ tale that’s been passed down recommends putting a broody hen into a burlap bag and swinging it around your head a few times,” Lotufo revealed. “I’ve never tried it, but it sounds like it might stop more than just brooding.”
Like many owners of laying hens, Lotufo is attached to her chickens. She has many varieties, including Buff Orpington, a large, golden-feathered, gentle breed that lays brown eggs. She also has a few Araucana (or Ameraucana), a relatively rare breed that lays gorgeous eggs in shades of green and turquoise.
“Their eggs are kind of trendy right now because of their color,” Lotufo indicated.
“We also have a few Leghorns (pronounced leggerns), white chickens that lay standard white eggs,” she said.
Lotufo’s favorite chickens are her diminutive Mille Fleur Bantams, not because of their eggs – which are tiny – but because of their gorgeous, multi-colored feathers and sweet natures.
“My Mille Fleurs (million flowers) let me pick them up and carry them around,” she said. “They’re like pets.”
According to Lotufo, most farm supply and feed stores in the area sell baby chicks at certain times. It’s best to call ahead to find out what days they’ll be available.
For residents within city limits, Lotufo recommends checking with city officials to see if laying hens are permitted.
“Although chicken-rearing from scratch can seem a bit daunting at first, there’s really not that much to it,” Lotufo assured.
Sheila Harris
With days of uncertainty ahead, many people are making plans to grow their own food this year. Some are novices; some are old hands at it, like rural Exeter resident, Sherry Leverich Lotufo, who’s never been long without a garden nor livestock.
She and her husband, Rob Lotufo, are excited about their recent acquisition of a shiny, black Lim-Flex bull to build their beef herd, but they are equally pleased with the animals that grace their yard, including a pet pig, a fluffy sheep dog, a docile chihuahua (of all things), ducks, guineas, and about 20 gorgeous chickens.
Sherry Lotufo, whose chickens are like pets, says it’s too difficult to try to keep an accurate head count of her flock.
“Sometimes in the summer we’ll have eggs hatch; other times a predator will get a hold of one when we’re not looking,” she said.
For her, the number of chickens she has is not as important as the fact that she has some.
“We love having fresh eggs,” she said, “and love having extras to share with friends and neighbors. Plus, I love the chickens.”
She was happy to offer advice to those new to the chicken-rearing concept.
“If you buy baby chicks right now - in the spring - they’ll be laying eggs by fall,” she said. “A rule of thumb is that six hens will generally provide enough eggs for a family of four, once they begin laying.”
“Be set up and ready for your chicks before you bring them home,” she advised. “Have supplies and a secure coop prepared. They won’t need the coop at first, but they’ll grow quickly, so you’ll want to get them out of your house as soon as possible.”
Lotufo starts her baby chicks indoors, in a box or a cage.
“Most farm supply stores have all of the equipment you need to raise chicks,” she continued, “including the chicks themselves.”
According to Bob, the store manager at Tractor Supply in Cassville (who didn’t want his last name published), chick shipments arrive every Wednesday and are sold “first come, first serve.” They usually receive chicks of various varieties.
“We sell both ‘straight runs’ and ‘pullets,’” he said. “A ‘straight run’ is a mixed bag of baby roosters and hens. You take what you get and make the best of them, whereas ‘pullets’ have been sorted by sex and are all female. The pullets cost a bit more, but you know you’ll end up with laying hens, with no rooster required.”
“Customers must buy a minimum of four chicks at our store,” he added.
“For the first week to 10 days after bringing chicks home, keeping them warm is critical,” Lotufo said. “If their environment is not kept between 80 and 90 degrees, they’ll die – just like that. They can’t tolerate cool temperatures. A heat lamp attached above their box or cage will provide the heat they need.”
“Be sure to use a lamp with a red bulb,” Bob, from Tractor Supply, advised. “If you use a white bulb, they’ll think they’re in perpetual daylight.”
“In a pinch,” Lotufo said, “if you don’t have a heat lamp, you can use gallon jugs of hot water placed in their pen, but a lamp is best.”
“Chicks are messy,” Lotufo warned. “You’ll want to line the bottom of their pens with newspaper or shavings – I use newspaper – but it will need to be changed about twice a day, as will their water bowl.”
More advice was forthcoming.
“Chicks eat ‘chick-starter,’ a mix prepared especially for hatchlings. You can find it at farm supply stores. As they grow, you’ll need to switch to different varieties of feed, but the feed stores will have all the directions,” Lotufo added.
“Chicks also need electrolytes added to their water,” Bob, from Tractor Supply, said. “If you get mail-order chicks, you’ll want to hold off on feeding them for about 30 minutes, until after they get some water and electrolytes into their systems. Store-bought chicks are ready to begin eating after you take them home, though.”
“When the chicks are big enough to transfer to an outside coop,” Lotufo said, “don’t just move them in one fell swoop. They need to be tapered off the heat lamp gradually, with time to adjust to a change in environment. On nice days, start setting their cage on the porch or in the sun for gradually increasing intervals over a period of days. If they seem to be tolerating it well, they can be turned out into the coop.”
“Deciding what type of coop to use is tricky,” she admitted. “The farm store can help advise you. A lot depends on the type of varmints you have around. In town, you might not face the same hazards you have in the country. Dogs and cats might be the biggest risk. In the country, there are all kinds of possibilities. We had one chicken killed by a ‘possum. We try to keep a livestock dog around to scare off predators, but even that’s not foolproof. Whereever you live, you’ll want to keep them cooped up at night. We let ours roam free during the day, then pen them up before it gets dark.”
Lotufo warns novices, too, about the molting of hens, a natural process which can be alarming if a person hasn’t encountered it.
“The hens will lose their feathers, stop laying eggs and look like they’re dying,” she said. “It happens every 12 to 18 months or so. It’s perfectly normal. It’s like a period of renewal when they shed old feathers and get new ones.”
“Sometimes hens will want to sit on their nests and try to hatch their eggs,” she said. “They get pretty protective and defensive of them. They’re called ‘broody hens.’ Unless you want baby chicks, it’s best to collect eggs as soon as they’re laid to prevent hens from brooding.”
“An old wives’ tale that’s been passed down recommends putting a broody hen into a burlap bag and swinging it around your head a few times,” Lotufo revealed. “I’ve never tried it, but it sounds like it might stop more than just brooding.”
Like many owners of laying hens, Lotufo is attached to her chickens. She has many varieties, including Buff Orpington, a large, golden-feathered, gentle breed that lays brown eggs. She also has a few Araucana (or Ameraucana), a relatively rare breed that lays gorgeous eggs in shades of green and turquoise.
“Their eggs are kind of trendy right now because of their color,” Lotufo indicated.
“We also have a few Leghorns (pronounced leggerns), white chickens that lay standard white eggs,” she said.
Lotufo’s favorite chickens are her diminutive Mille Fleur Bantams, not because of their eggs – which are tiny – but because of their gorgeous, multi-colored feathers and sweet natures.
“My Mille Fleurs (million flowers) let me pick them up and carry them around,” she said. “They’re like pets.”
According to Lotufo, most farm supply and feed stores in the area sell baby chicks at certain times. It’s best to call ahead to find out what days they’ll be available.
For residents within city limits, Lotufo recommends checking with city officials to see if laying hens are permitted.
“Although chicken-rearing from scratch can seem a bit daunting at first, there’s really not that much to it,” Lotufo assured.
Sherry Lotufo, of rural Exeter, offers chicken-rearing advice.