In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby Chicks Names in
Mathews, Alabama
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Mathews 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. Mathews
Alabama also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Mathews 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 Mathews AL.
Baby Chicks Online in
Mathews, Alabama
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Mathews 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
Mathews 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 Mathews
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 In
The Mail in
Mathews, 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
Mathews 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 Mathews,
Alabama Baby chicks are really
charming and
hard to withstand,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
appropriate products, but
also the correct
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you just need
to offer them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Attention and
love Environment Your habitat could be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
paper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You likewise require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a pet store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a heat source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also function extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and each week this can
be reduced by
around 5 levels or
so. The warmth resource need to be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your warmth
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you need to include some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bedding
usually and
consistently give tidy
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow really quick
which requires a lot of tidy
food and also water. Provide
enough whatsoever times and also check
typically to prevent parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not use up that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Focus as well as love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and also
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
watch their behavior, you can
catch disease or various
other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make certain to
additionally look at
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted plumes as well
as clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to watch out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and move outside into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages to learn more
regarding cages and also
proper coop environments.
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