Where to get a chick (or 100) in this town.....

Where to get the chicks.....

The broiler side of our chicken barn is 386 square feet. A full size chicken needs approximately 2 sq ft so we could have up to 200 birds. I think am going to start with 100. For some reason that seems more manageable for a first attempt. A friend from Vancouver Island suggested I try Rochester Hatchery. She had used them in the past and were very happy with them. Their website has a load of information that I found very helpful, but I have opted for a local hatchery in Abbotsford. ~ Western Hatchery for the simple fact they are local. They have provided a lot of support over the phone so far and I look forward to meeting them when I go pick up my chicks on hatching day.

Prep for the chicks....

Interior of the barn; before cleaning and prepping

To increase my chances of not killing all 100 of these lil fluff balls I need to make sure the barn has been sterilized and all the equipment is ready to go. So I turned to google. Use bleach. Don't use bleach. Use vinegar. Use lime. Spend hours doing this. Don't worry about it. Man the internet is a double edged sword. Since the barn has not been used for several years, I am starting from a good point. If I had recently used it for raising a flock, or had a flock with disease then more efforts would have to be undertaken. I have opted for the lime method for the floors and walls and a diluted bleach for cleaning the water system. Lime because the barn will not need to dry out after and it seems easier and less fuss than the liquid based alternatives and bleach because I thought that it will kill any bacteria that has built in the lines.

What to feed them..... 

I would like this poultry to be medication free  ~ as wholesome as possible. I am opting for the non-medicated chicken feed made by Pro Form feeds. In this neck of the woods there are several places to get supplies. I like Dare's Country Feeds. I picked up the started feed today. $15.99 / 20kg. Each chick gets 50 grams / day and they eat it for 21 days. Quick math - because I am accountant by profession - (and really because I have a calculator on my iPhone) I bought 5 bags of the starter feed.