Chicks: Pullets and Cockerels (Weeks 7- 1 year old)
As your chicks begin getting older, you may notice a few characteristics that can help you begin to distinguish which are males and which are females. Under a year old, male chickens are called cockerels and female chickens under a year old are pullets.
If you have an autosexing breed of chickens, you should be able to tell if you have males or females after your birds hatch. Autosexing chickens are distinguishable based on their colors upon hatching. Some birds can be sexed by wing feathers, some professionals can sex a bird by their vent, but most of us wait til we see some tell-tale sickle and saddle feathers (or wait for them to crow) to know if we have a hen or roo. More on this topic in a future blog post!
After your chicks are fully feathered out (usually between 4 and 6 weeks old, depending on the variety), their care changes and they won’t need so much heat and careful observation. At 6 weeks old, your chicks can move out of their brooder and into their coop. Pullets and Cockerels at this age do not need supplemental heat. It’s common to see chicken owners supplementing heat in coops during the cold months, but most chicken varieties are extremely cold hardy. It’s those summer months we need to worry about more! Search for chicken varieties that are hardy in YOUR area, and don’t risk a coop or barn fire.
Some chickens can begin to lay eggs as early as 15 weeks old. At this time, their dietary needs change and they’ll need more calcium than is in their chick food. Now it’s time to give your pullets a calcium-fortified egg layer blend.
Laying hens need energy, carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. Scratch feed is not a complete feed for chickens, some chicken owners don’t bother buying it! If your birds get full on this, they’re missing key parts of their diet and could potentially lay less eggs. Look for a feed thats about 18% protien, .85% calcium, 6% fat and 2.5%fiber. (According to the UGA Cooperative Extension.)
Considerations: Do you keep roosters in your flock? If so, keep in mind that roosters do not need as much as calcium as hens. Roosters cannot process excess calcium and could end up with urinary issues. Some flock keepers feed a non-layer blend and leave out crushed oyster shells for the hens to have, free choice.
During this first year, it’s a good idea to cull or rehome roosters in order to keep a good ratio. Too many roosters will fight, but they will also over-breed the hens which can cause their feathers to be pulled out. Stressed birds have weak immune systems, and get sick easily! Make sure you have adequate space in your coop for the flock you have. 1 square foot per bird is the bare minimum, but having a safe turn-out with such close quarters is a good idea.
Keep reading to find out what an ideal coop should look like. The health and productivity of your chickens could be greatly effected by their environment!
