Hello Friends,
My 12 year old son is homeschooled. He would like to raise chicks as pets and for their eggs. Before we set out to do this I would appreciate knowing the responsibility involved in their care to make sure they grow up healthy and are gentle.
We live on Cape Cod, MA -so I would like to know the best breed and if we need to a rooster in order to have the hens lay eggs, how big their living area should be, what type of food, preventive care, maintenance of their living quarters, general costs, etc.
Yes, we do have other pets, cats which do not bother the pet guinea pigs, a dog and a rabbit. Many thanks for any information & resources you can give me. I want to make sure we can take good care of the chickens before I let my son get some.
If we get the chickens their development will be followed on my son's website
http://www.bearabletimes.org/shadowsshore.html

PS I forgot to ask?!
Should I have my son raise the hens from chicks or from the eggs? What is the best way? I want this to be a fun yet educational experience.

mailto:bearkids@bearabletimes.org

First go to the library and brouse some books on poultry raising. There are a number of titles on small flock management. Suggest you go right to the Book store on the COOP. Some have plans for small coops and will give you pros and cons for chicks or hatching. You do not say the size of your family, but 3 or 4 hens will keep a family of 3 or 4 in eggs and some to give away unless you do a lot of baking! Start reading right now, and go to your local Feed Store to see what feeds and supplies they will have. (They will have layer and broiler chicks now, but wait until you are prepared for some!) They might put you in touch with a customer who has a "backyard" flock and can give you first hand pointers. But the hatching season is RIGHT NOW, and chicks take 5-6 months to grow to laying age, so don't waste any time--a GREAT PROJECT for your son and your family! CJR

In your cooler climate, I'd suggest a heavier breed. Take a look at the following site which has GREAT info on raising chickens:

http://home.earthlink.net/~manzanovalph/cyberlibrary.html

I'd say you should get some already hatched chicks the first time around. Then, later if you want to invest in an incubator, hatching eggs would be a great experience for your son and he'll already know how to take care of the chicks once they hatch.

Have you considered getting your son involved with 4-H? Our 11-year-old just joined our local 4-H Poultry Club. Each year they have a project - the one he chose is to raise 5 Auracana chicks to adulthood, and show them at the agricultural fairs in our area this summer. He is quite excited about it, and is learning a lot (like how to bathe a chicken to get it ready for a show!) 4-H offers lots of information, support and opportunities to connect with like-minded people. The children are encouraged to take responsibility for their animals, and to practice good poultry management. They set goals and work to achieve them. Your son is just the right age to join. Even if you don't do the 4-H thing, I agree with cjeanr that raising poultry is a great project. I also agree with chickster that getting already hatched chicks is the best way to go first-time round (the KISS method). We did it that way first, and tried hatching our own several years later, when we had the basics of poultry management down pat. Good luck, and have fun!