Chickens are social birds and really need to have at least one friend, so count on starting with a minimum of two. Having multiple birds will also help them keep each other warm in the winter time. So, how many should you get? I read somewhere that two hens per family member is a good guideline. By their rule, if you have a family of 5, that would mean 10 hens. But also keep in mind that young hens can lay one egg every 1-2 days during the warm months. That means you could have 35-70 eggs in one week’s time! That’s quite a few eggs. Now you can freeze eggs, cook or bake items that use eggs and freeze those, but you still should take that into consideration when deciding how many. Personally if we were to start again, I would go with 5-8 hens. This coming from the family that currently has 18 hens … but we’re also selling quite a few eggs.
We’ve never gotten eggs for incubation, so I can’t offer any advice on how to start there.
Our chickens have always come as baby chicks. There are two ways I know of to get chickens this way – buy them local or find an online source. I’m pretty sure our local Blaine’s Farm & Fleet has chickens each spring. Selection would be limited but you should find only those breeds suited to your area.
We’ve had good luck ordering from Murray McMurray Hatchery. They have a wide array of breeds and you can find some good deals (which is how we ended up ordering 45 birds the first time!). The downside to mail-ordering birds is there is usually a minimum number you have to order so they can keep each other warm in the box during the few days they are being shipped. And yes, they do actually come via US Postal Service. The post office knows how to handle them so they get to you in time. There’s always a risk of chicks not surviving the shipping process. We lost one last year when we ordered again. Sometimes hatcheries will take that into consideration and throw in an extra bird just in case (but don’t count on it). Let them know if a bird doesn’t survive – they may give you a refund or discount if it’s within 24-48 hrs of arrival.
If you get baby chicks instead of full-grown hens, keep in mind that you will need to keep them warm … like 90-95°F warm the first few weeks of their lives. This requires a heat lamp or some other heat source, and a “brooder” area where you can make sure they are draft-free. This area could be inside your existing coop (if there aren’t hens in there already), but you’ll want to contain them in a smaller size to make sure they stay warm. As the weeks pass you can move the heat lamp up, reducing the temperature by 5-degrees per week until they’re ready to go outside.
You could also check out local sites like Craigslist as there might be some people that received full-grown chickens can no longer keep them.
There are a multitude of choices for chicken breeds out there. You can get
great egg-producers
dual-purpose breeds (if you intend to eat your birds later)
breeds that are cold-hardy
“fancy” birds with amazing plumage, aka ornamentals
rare breeds – some of which are endangered.
and have great listings of chicken breeds to help you sort it out.
For our location, we wanted to make sure our chickens would be cold-hardy. We also wanted fairly good layers, so most of our hens are either Speckled Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. We also had good luck with Buff Orpingtons. Opal is our one remaining Silver-Laced Wyandotte from the first batch.
Share this:
Related Posts:
Tags:
Baby Chickens Eggs in
Woodson, Arkansas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Woodson 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. Woodson
Arkansas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Woodson 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 Woodson AR.
Raising Baby Chickens in
Woodson, Arkansas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Woodson 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
Woodson 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 Woodson
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 Chickens Habitat in
Woodson, 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
Woodson 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 Woodson,
Arkansas Baby chicks are very
adorable and
challenging to resist,
however it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
proper products, but
also the correct
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you merely should offer them with the following: A
clean and warm
habitat A lot of food as well
as water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your environment can be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You also need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also work very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and each week this could
be minimized by
about 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource need to get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you should add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to change
the bedding
frequently and also
consistently provide tidy
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow quite quickly
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as examine
frequently to
stop thirsty as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Focus as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will most
likely bond with you as well as
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
see their actions, you can
capture disease or various
other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
additionally take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is important to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also move outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops as well as
proper coop environments.
Baby Chicks BuyBaby Chicks Male More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Ola, Arkansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Chidester, Arkansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Wooster, Arkansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Louann, Arkansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Vilonia, Arkansas