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 Care in
Berry Creek, California
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Berry Creek California,
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. Berry Creek
California also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Berry Creek California, 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 Berry Creek CA.
Baby Chickens On
Sale in
Berry Creek, California
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Berry Creek California
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
Berry Creek California * 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 Berry Creek
California * 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
Berry Creek, California
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
Berry Creek California 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 Berry Creek,
California Baby chicks are very
charming and also
challenging to withstand,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
right materials, but
additionally the appropriate
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you just need
to give them with the following: A
clean and cozy
environment Plenty of food and also water Attention and
love Habitat Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You likewise need
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you should
offer them with a heat resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally function extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can occupy to 2 months). The newly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
as well as every week this could
be minimized by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The warmth resource need to be on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your heat
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you should add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to alter
the bed linens
usually and also
always give tidy
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow extremely quick
which requires a lot of clean
food and water. Supply
enough whatsoever times as well
as check
usually to avoid thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not take
up that activity until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you and
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
watch their actions, you can
capture health problem or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
likewise consider
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to look out
for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and also move outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops and also
correct cage habitats.
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