I like to use a hen with my chicks as she will later teach them to scratch and hunt for grasshoppers and bugs when they are put out on the ground at about one (1) month of age. At this age they have feathered out and are much less likely to fall victim to coccidosis or colds, etc. that to the very young, usually prove fatal.
I like to put my chick pens out in the open, but under the shade of trees. Shade is very essential to chicks, in fact to all chickens no matter what their age. You cannot have strong healthy game fowl unless they have shade to protect them from the sun's heat.
I like to start the little fellows off to eating with crumbled oat meal. They like it and it is good high protein food. After the first couple of days, I use a good commercial chick starter, and after a month I put them on a good grower and grain. Be sure to keep plenty of clean water and grit before them at all times.
Be sure to de-louse the hen when you put her to setting. Lice and mites surely kill or slow the growth of the chicks.
You can make these chick pens with little effort and cost, or you can make them out of expensive woods, paint them up neatly and they will be quite attractive. You can also make them bigger, but not much smaller, and be sure to put the hardware cloth in the bottom. It keeps those delicate babies up off the ground for those all important first weeks. I can guarantee that if you do this, feed them well, keep the lice off of them and give them plenty of pure clean water, that you will raise most all of the chicks you hatch.
It is satisfying to watch these healthy little rascals go from a ball of fuzz to baby feathers, to stag feathers, and then to the grown-up feathers of the brilliantly beautiful game cock. You will get many hours of pleasure as you watch these changes come about. You can pick out those future aces and dream of their quick pit wins. Yes, there is constant pleasure in our great hobby and it is not confined to the ultimate battle in the pit.
A man or woman that loves their chickens can soon tell them apart. By the time the young stags start crowing at about eight (8) to eleven (11) weeks of age, they will become recognizable as individuals, with a definite personality of their own. Of course the same is true of the pullets. You should start in to study each individual chick at an early age, as the individual characteristics will be a definite reason for selection of one certain individual for the brood pen at a later date.
Did he, or she, feather out quickly; was he always a good eater, active, alert, of good carriage and always in good flesh? Did he grow off quickly and steadily, or did he have spells of good eating and then spells of slow growth? Did he, or she, scratch and forage all over the place or did he stand and wait for the feed bucket? These and many more things will give you a good insight into which ones should eventually be prime candidates for the brood pen. Are they late or early moulters, tight feathered or loose, mean or gentle, wild or tame? You may spend many pleasant hours observing your flock to find out these answers and these hours will pay off not only in the pleasure derived from observing your fowl grow, but with the real knowledge gained, you can more intelligently make your future matings.
