Recently, with the prices of food rising, especially eggs, we decided that we wanted to make a concentrated effort to raise chickens. I have never had the opportunity to interact with chickens other than in grade school when we hatched baby chickens in incubators, so I knew this would have a steep learning curve. After scouring the internet for sites on the different breeds of chickens, we were pleased to discover which had fairly good descriptions and accompanying pictures.
We decided on four different breeds:
1) Brahma:
2) Delaware:
3) Barred Rock:
and one we’re not sure of. We were told she was a Rhode Island Red (), but now we’re assuming she’s an
4) Ameraucana:
We purchased them at 2 weeks old and they’re about 3 months now. One thing I was not prepared for is that each hen has her own personality and quirks, not unlike a puppy. They are curious about everything and always come up to greet us. We decided to not invest in a rooster since our neighbors are relatively close and our alarm clocks are more than adequate.
Besides eggs and meat, another great benefit to having chickens is that their waste can be composted and used as fertilizer. Since they eat practically anything, they also make great food scrap disposals too!
If any of you decide to acquire your own flock of chickens be certain to buy or build your chicken coup first. Chickens grow amazingly fast and before you know it, they will have outgrown their temporary living arrangements. We decided to build our own coup and let me tell you, they take up a great deal of time. We ended up building a 6′ x 6′ base, covered the floor with linoleum, complete with a triangular based roof of which one side “hatches” open for easy cleaning. The whole coup is on wooden stilts attached to concrete slabs which anchor it to the ground. The chicken door opens up into a large chicken run. Our design was pieced together from several other coup designs that others have posted on the internet.
Have you had experiences with chickens? If so, feel free to comment and share.
Barred Rock and a "We're Not Quite Sure" Hen
Baby Chickens Hatching in
Trapper Creek, Alaska
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Trapper Creek Alaska,
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. Trapper Creek
Alaska also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Trapper Creek Alaska, 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 Trapper Creek AK.
Baby Chicks To Buy in
Trapper Creek, Alaska
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Trapper Creek Alaska
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
Trapper Creek Alaska * 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 Trapper Creek
Alaska * 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 Chicks Home in
Trapper Creek, Alaska
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
Trapper Creek Alaska 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 Trapper Creek,
Alaska Baby chicks are very
cute and also
challenging to resist,
however it's best to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not only the
appropriate products, yet
also the correct
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you just should offer them with the following: A tidy and also warm
habitat Lots of food and also water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your environment can be a
simple box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks use straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using only
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also require
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you need to
give them with a heat resource.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could use
up to two months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and every week this could
be minimized by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource must get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you have to
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not simply cuddling),
you need to add some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bedding
usually and
always give tidy
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand really quickly
which needs a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Give
sufficient in any way times and also inspect
usually to prevent thirsty as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
filth baths, while others will not occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you could
catch disease or various
other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Make sure to
likewise check out
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers and also obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
as well as move outside right into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken coops to get more information
regarding coops as well as
correct cage environments.
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