The joy of raising baby chicks, a family fun activity!

Raising baby chicks is a great experience for kids, parents and grandparents alike. As the chicks grow they transition through a number of different cute and fluffy stages before arriving as a fully mature, laying hens.

At Talking Hens, we have always been interested in growing our hens from day-old chicks and finally, we now have the opportunity to actually do it! My father, Agostino was a poultry farmer who would always raise his own baby chicks which I used to love watching as a child. It was amazing to see all those little, fluffy chicks grow into laying hens and the weekly changes in feather growth, body size and confidence as they quickly grew.

There are some important things to understand with growing chicks. These include a heat lamp to provide them with constant 30-degree warmth for the first few weeks of their life as they can’t regulate their own body temperature when young. They also need a sturdy, draft-free box or container to live in with a dry layer of wood shavings for insulation.

Food and water is also vitally important so good access to the correct water drinker and feeder is needed. They don’t need much food but it must be tailor-made for them to provide all of the nutrients needed.

Talking Hens will have a new flock of day-old chicks from late August 2022 available for families to purchase. The breed of chick is a Hy-line Brown, which are very friendly and placid and great for young families. We also have all the accessories, equipment and specific feed for the chicks available to keep them happy and healthy. We can answer any questions you may have from day-old chicks right through to when the hens begin to lay.

Make an appointment or visit Talking Hens at 3590 Frankston Flinders Rd Merricks.

Open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 4pm (closed Tue & Wed).

Phone: 0406 691 231

TalkingHens.com.au

Peninsula Essence, Peninsula Home & Garden Feature – September 2022