Our little darling chicks have arrived! We ordered from mypetchicken.com and found the selection and service to be excellent. The chicks shipped super fast and were all healthy and well when they arrived (oh and so soft and cute!). Our little gal chicks will live in their brooder box for about 4-6 weeks, then transition to their chicken coop outdoors, where they will have free range of our backyard once they are full grown.
Investing in chicks can start to get expensive if you don’t DIY. I considered just using a large cardboard box to keep them in for those first 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I read about chick care said that a large cardboard box would soon be too small for the growing chicks (and potentially too short as well for when they try flying). Mypetchicken.com sells a for $72 shipping; however to save some cash, I decided to copy the idea using left over moving boxes I had laying around.
You will need:
2 Large cardboard boxes of the same size
cutting tool
strong tape (duct tape works)
It’s so simple: cut a side open on the two boxes, open them up and then tape the edges together, folding the bottoms in together so they sort of weave and interlock. You can choose to tape those inside flaps together for added stability.
Added bonus for this design: when the chicks get bigger and can start jumping and trying to fly, you can fold up the top flaps of the boxes and tape them together to add 5 plus inches to the height of your box – cool! You can also grab a couple long sticks or dowels and punch holes in the sides of the cardboard to set up roosting perches for the chicks about 1-2 inches off the ground.
To make removing and cleaning the pine bedding easier, I picked up a painters drop cloth at the hardware store for $8, size 5×5, and laid it inside the pen before putting down the bedding. This will allow me to wrap up the entire bedding/poop mess inside the drop cloth and carry it out to the compost pile.
Other items needed for our 6 little birds were purchased at a local feed store:
$5.50 – buy the large one so you don’t have to buy it later when the birds get bigger and try to knock over a smaller sized one you may have bought at first. Saves you money and time!
$4
3 cubic feet of compressed $8
25 lbs $12
From Amazon I purchased a for $11.20
and from Amazon also I purchased a $12
My home-made “package” cost $55.70, compared to the starter kit from mypetchicken.com priced at $72 plus shipping. As an added bonus, I purchased 5 times as much food, got a larger watering device and a metal feeder instead of plastic. I also was able to get 20 times as much pine bedding and a much sturdier heatlamp. I’d say that’s a win! Plus, I do think my recycled cardboard chick house ended up being larger than the size of the packaged one.
And man, are they cute! My son loves going in there during the day with me to check on them.
For more information on raising baby chicks, I recommend
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Baby Chickens And
Ducks in
Saint Francis, Arkansas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Saint Francis Arkansas,
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. Saint Francis
Arkansas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Saint Francis Arkansas, 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 Saint Francis AR.
Baby Chicks Near Me in
Saint Francis, Arkansas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Saint Francis Arkansas
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
Saint Francis Arkansas * 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 Saint Francis
Arkansas * 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 Needs in
Saint Francis, Arkansas
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
Saint Francis Arkansas 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 Saint Francis,
Arkansas Baby chicks are quite
adorable and
tough to withstand,
however it's best to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
correct materials, but
additionally the correct
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you merely should give them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food and water Interest and also
love Habitat Your habitat could be a basic box, aquarium,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loose
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using only
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you need to
supply them with a heat resource.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally work very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also each week this can
be reduced by
about 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource ought
to get on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you have to
decrease the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you should add some heat.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to alter
the bed linens
often and
consistently give clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand really quick
which requires a lot of tidy
food and also water. Give
sufficient whatsoever times and inspect
usually to prevent parched and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Interest and love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
view their behavior, you can
capture ailment or various
other issues previously. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
indicators. Be sure to
additionally take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted feathers and obstructed cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to watch out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
as well as move outside right into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken cages to find out
more
about cages and
proper coop habitats.
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