It was a typical Tuesday morning at 1840 Farm. I was 90 minutes into a tomato soup canning session when the phone rang. When I picked it up, I could immediately hear the “cheep, cheep, cheep” in the background as a not very impressed postal employee informed me that I needed to come pick up my chicks. I could tell from the tone of his voice that he wanted me there yesterday.
So, hot water bath canner bubbling on the stove, I calmly told him, “I’ll be there in thirty minutes!” I raced to the garage to set up their new home. I wasn’t expecting for them to arrive until later this week, but luckily we had already gathered the necessary supplies. I ran back into the house, turned the heat off under the canning pot, set the timer for five minutes and watched the time tick down. There was nothing that I could do but wait and hope that they would still be “peeping” when I got there.
They were. As soon as I entered the post office, I could hear them from the back room. I waited my turn and told them that I was there for the baby chicks. They never asked my name. They didn’t ask to see any form of identification. They quickly handed over the baby chicks. They were happy to see my pick up my package and head for the door. I can tell you that I got a lot of interesting glances as I was walking out to my car. People tend to stare when you are carrying a package the size of a child’s shoe box that is peeping.
We ordered our heritage breed chicks from . They were great about offering resources for first time chicken keepers. They kept recommending not to open the box in front of children as a few of them might not have made the journey and lived to peep about it. So, I knew what I needed to do. I carefully cut the strapping tape away from three of the sides. I gently lifted the lid and tried to count the little fluff balls inside.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! They had all made it. Now to get them home and settled in. My daughter couldn’t wait to get them out of the box and into their little warm brooder. We opened the box and two hopped right out into the pine shavings. The rest of them quickly decided that living in their little shipping box forever seemed like a good idea. Finally, with a little encouragement, they gently set foot into their new space.
We watched them with bated breath. Would they drink? Would they eat? Were they warm enough? Too warm? Who knew that chicken keeping was this difficult? I carefully picked each chick up and dipped its beak into the waterer. Some happily drank water while others immediately pulled their beaks out of the water as if they were being waterboarded. Those chicks ran away from the water to the safety of the opposite corner of the brooder. They were definitely keeping an eye on me. I was not to be trusted.
That was, until I brought more food. Then I was back in their good graces as they all investigated their surroundings, had a snack, and settled in under the heat lamp for a well deserved nap. They were exhausted from their journey. I was certainly exhausted from mine.
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Baby Chicks Types in
Clayton, Alabama
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Clayton Alabama,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Clayton
Alabama also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Clayton Alabama, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Clayton AL.
Baby Chicks House in
Clayton, Alabama
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Clayton Alabama
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Clayton Alabama * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Clayton
Alabama * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chickens Online in
Clayton, Alabama
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Clayton Alabama is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Clayton,
Alabama Baby chicks are very
adorable as well as
challenging to stand up to,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
proper materials, but
also the appropriate
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you simply have to offer them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
habitat A lot of food and water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loose
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You also need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can use
up to 2 months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also weekly this can
be reduced by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The warmth source must get on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you have to
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you should include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is crucial as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
frequently and
constantly supply clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow extremely fast
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Provide
enough whatsoever times and also inspect
typically to avoid thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Attention and love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
watch their behavior, you can
capture health problem or other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could bring about matted feathers as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and relocate outside into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken cages to read more
about cages and
correct cage habitats.
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