Female baby chickens are called pullets while males are called cockerels.
Baby Chickens! These little bunny babies are great pets!
So, what came first, the chicken or the egg?! We may never know for sure but I think we can all agree on how cute baby chicks are! A mother chicken is called a hen while a father chicken is called a rooster. Hens can lay eggs that are fertilized or un-fertilized (with a baby or without). If a hen decides to have babies, she will have the next three weeks to look out for her eggs! By sitting on them to keep them warm, she cares for the growing chickens inside the fragile eggs. Also during this time period she will turn the eggs daily to start giving the chicks some exercise! This also ensures that they grow correctly.
Thanks to the hen, the baby chick has everything it needs right inside the egg to grow. The yolk is there to feed the chick until it is ready to break free of its egg home. When the time comes all baby chicks have what is called an egg tooth, which is a little bump on their beak to poke holes through the surrounding egg shell. The chick will need to be very strong to break free of the egg, so it will need to eat as much of the yolk inside as possible.
A newly hatched chick will be wet and covered in the remains of the egg yolk that he or she did not eat. The little baby chicken will be about the size of the egg it was just in; so you can definitely call it a tight fit! Once it dries off, a baby chicken’s feathers will get fluffy and the chick is ready to start its new life.
Female baby chickens are called pullets while males are called cockerels. Besides the egg tooth which will fall off shortly after birth, baby chickens or chickens in general do not have teeth. Baby chickens will learn the hard way on what to eat via process of trial and error! After all, how would you know if you like something until you try it?! They will taste everything in site by pecking at it with their beaks.
While the father rooster does not interact with the chicks, he will protect them and all the hens by looking out for danger and keeping predators away. This makes sure that the baby chicks can grow up in safety to become the new hens and roosters on the farm.
Chicken Care
Interested in having a few chickens roam the yard or provide delicious, healthy eggs for your family? You aren’t alone! Caring for chickens is a fun experience full of rewards and learning moments. Chickens themselves may be cheap, but their housing certainly isn’t. Find them a run or a housing structure that gives them an area for shelter away from the elements. They should have about 4 square foot of space within the little home you provide for them. Pair hens with hens and be careful about adding roosters.
Chickens need a high quality feed mix that you can purchase online or from an organic pet supply or farm supply store in the area. They are also big water drinkers and water should always be offered fresh and on hand for their needs! There are many different types of chickens and you’ll want to take egg laying and temperature of your location into account before selecting a breed.
