First decide on how you wish to raise your broilers. 

 

If you would like to keep them confined a commercial broiler chick may be suitable in this situation if you can control the environment indoors.

 

If you plan to raise your broilers on free range consider a more robust slower growing type of broiler chick.

We supply several different breeds of broiler chicks with the free-range sort always trending.  Over the past several years now the clear favourite has emerged.  It is known as the Freedom Ranger.  

 

Broiler chicks are not normally vaccinated due to their short life span and the concerns of many who don't wish to consume a bird that has been vaccinated or fed antibiotics.

 

All of the broiler chicks we sell come from inspected hatcheries and are veterinary certified healthy.  We prominently display the health certificates for all to see.

 

To order your broiler chicks visit: https://www.beaupeepfarms.ca/shop/broilers-day-old-chicks/4?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc

 

 

Our Freedom Ranger Broiler chicks are certified Organic.  A copy of the certification is available for a small fee.  If you wish to raise them as Organic, feed a good quality Organic starter Feed only and avoid medicated feeds.

 

If it matters less that your birds remain Organic, feed a good medicated starter crumble for the first week, then use non-medicated starter crumble, and provide access to fresh water at all times. The medicated feed helps to prevent your chicks from developing a coccidiosis imbalance/infection.
What is coccidiosis??

visit: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/ department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4616

 

There is no need to change feed type for the lifespan of the broiler as they require high protein feed throughout due to their fast growth rate.

 

 

A brooder of some sort to keep them warm. A simple brooder lamp with a heat lamp bulb will keep them warm. Make sure they are in a draft free place and have enough room to get away from the heat if they feel too warm. Raise the height of the lamp a little each week. Most chicks can begin to be weaned off heat after three weeks of age. By the time chicks are fully feathered and if they have been weaned off of the heat in stages, they will no longer require any supplemental heat. Too much heat is deadly for broilers, especially as they mature to processing weight.
visit: http://webelfin.com/chickens/

 

 

 

If you notice a build up of excrement on their back ends this will need to be cleaned off. This is known as "Pasty butt" and if not looked after the chick will die as it will not be able to defecate. To remove the pasty mess gently hold the chick with it's bottom on a warm wet sponge until the matter becomes softened. Remove the matter with your fingers - gently! Be very careful not to injure the chicks "belly button" located just below it's vent. You do not want to injure the chick.

 

If chicks are peeping loudly they are in distress, a contented chick is busy but quiet. They do take a lot of naps.

 

If chicks are crowding in a corner, it's too drafty.

 

If chicks are crowding under a heat lamp, it's too cold.

 

If chicks are in a ring around a heat lamp, they are too hot.

 

 

 

Overcrowding leads to pecking and canibalism and can also lead to coccidiosis.  Inadequite ventilation leads to problems such as pneumonia, respiratory and other infectious diseases.

 

 

 

If you are feeding organic feed, whole feeds or when you are planning to harden them off to go outdoors or simply want to begin to feed them scraps of vegetables and fruits or treats such as mealworms (or anything other than the commercial crumble (which is water soluble) you need to introduce some fine grit just prior to allowing them access to these other foods. Grit is stored in the birds gizzard and is essentially their "teeth" for grinding up the "solid foods". Without grit these new solid foods can fester in their croup causing a condition known as pendulous croup or simply an infection that if left unchecked will kill.

 

 

At no  later than 16 weeks or when their voices change from peep to cluck (or a strange squeak in an attempt to crow), whichever comes first, it is time to process your broilers.  Broilers processed after 14 weeks run the risk of becoming tough and useful for stewing only.  Most broilers are processed between  9 - 13 weeks for slow growing types that free range or as little as 6-8 weeks for commercial birds suited to growing in indoor controlled environments.

 

If you postpone processing you run the risk of ending up with tough meat, only suitable for stewing.