You’ve hatched your chicks and you’ve gotten attached. Are you thinking about keeping your chicks? You should! After our first year of hatching chicks in the classroom, we had one family who adopted chickens and have had them ever since! They even take some of our chicks each school year. 

Keeping the chicks that you hatch can be exciting and overwhelming. It’s incredibly special to continue observing the chicks develop into adult chickens. 

Depending on the time of year you hatch your chicks, you will need to keep temperature in consideration as you think and plan for your chicks at home. The chicks will happily stay in your brooder for a few weeks. They grow quite quickly, so you’ll know (usually by them escaping!) when it is time to move them. Once they have outgrown the brooder, consider moving them to a larger space still with a heat source. In the past, we have kept the chicks enclosed in a make-shift enclosure for about two months. Afterwards, they are usually ready for a full coop. 

If this is your first set of chicks, you may move them into your coop. Ensure they have adequate heat. If you have other chickens, know that sometimes chickens do not get along. Consider dividing the coop and putting the new, younger ones separate from the older ones, at least at first. 

Please also remember that there are many natural predators for chicks, especially young ones. Please try your best to protect them as much as you can. 

The chicks will start looking mature after about five months. You might even have some surprise roosters in your bunch! After about six months, your chicks should start laying eggs. 

Like dogs, different chick species look different, have different sizes, and lay eggs at different rates. Consult an expert (or google) to learn more about the species of your chickens. 

As always, consider the rules and restrictions of the city and county you live in. There are different restrictions all over. Don’t forget about your HOA!