We got some Black Astralorp chicks from Tractor Supply for $.99 each. You can usually do this by waiting until near the end of their “chick days”. These birds are sometime two weeks old, which I consider a good thing as they have been fed by somebody else for a couple of weeks and you are likely to get birds with a higher chance of living. I have done this twice now, getting birds at a cheep price. The only downside is you basically have to take what they have in stock. I keep them in a brooder that is about 4′ square with a roof and 3 wood sides and one Plexiglas side. I take radiant foil insulation from Home Depot and line a cardboard box with it and cut a small opening in the side, kind of like an igloo. by having a larger number of chicks (35 in this case) and this place for them to go and huddle to get warm I am able to brood them with out electricity. Don’t believe you need heat lamps to successfully brood chicks.
Now that they are about a month old I’m moved them to my first coop, an A-Frame 16′ long. The picture at the top is when I first build it, but as my flock got bigger it was too small. My plan is to use it for these birds to get some size on them and then introduce them to my existing flock. Below is a quick video.
