Baby Chickens for Sale in Etna, California
Baby Chickens for Sale in Etna, California
How to Introduce New Chickens into your Flock, part 2
Disease and Parasites
When you introduce new chickens to your flock, you run the risk of also introducing new diseases or parasites to your flock. If you take your chickens to poultry shows, then you run that same risk when you reintroduce chickens that were taken to the show back into your main flock.
Quarantine
The best and most effective way to protect your flock from diseases introduced by new chickens is to quarantine them. When you quarantine a chicken or several chickens, you keep them separate from the rest of the flock for an extended time period. We recommend a quarantine of at least 30 days.
During the quarantine, care for the quarantined chickens normally, giving them food and water, but do not allow any contact with the existing flock. Thoroughly wash your hands and disinfect your feet and anything else that comes in contact with these chickens or their environment or manure. We carry several that work well.
While the chickens are in quarantine, watch them closely for any signs of parasites, such as mites, and for any signs of disease, such as respiratory problems, or mucus discharges from the chickens’ eyes or nostrils.
Another Precaution
Chickens in a flock can build up an immunity to a disease yet still be carriers of that disease. If your new chickens have such an immunity and are disease carriers, the quarantine described above won’t be enough, and the new chickens could still introduce disease into your flock undetected.
There is a way to guard against this. It involves a little risk, but it minimizes the risk of infecting the main flock. Take one chicken from your main flock and move it into the quarantine with the new birds. Keep that chicken with your other quarantined birds for the entire quarantine period. Watch her closely. If she begins to develop any signs of disease, it is likely that she was infected by the new birds, so in that case, do not introduce the new birds into the flock. On the other hand, if she makes it through the quarantine period without any signs of disease, then you can be reasonably sure that it is safe to introduce her and the new birds into your flock.
With this approach, you run the risk of losing one chicken from your main flock to disease, but you greatly reduce the risk of losing your entire flock.
Baby Chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery
Murray McMurray Hatchery takes a to make sure that any baby chicks you receive from us are healthy and free of disease. This eliminates any concern you may have about the baby chicks introducing disease to your existing flock, but there are still some things to consider.
Baby chicks are not able to defend themselves against larger, more mature chickens, so they should be raised separately until they reach maturity. Second, if you have any concerns about disease or parasites in your existing flock, take proper precautions to make sure that you don’t risk introducing it to your new chickens.
In next week’s article, I will discuss how to integrate the new chickens into your existing flock.
Baby Chickens For Sale Near Me in Etna, California
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Etna 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. Etna California also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Etna 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 Etna CA.Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in Etna, California
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Etna 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
Etna 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 Etna
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 Quail Chicks in Etna, 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 Etna 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 Etna, California Baby chicks are quite adorable as well as challenging to resist, however it's best to plan for their arrival before you get them. Prepare first by collecting not only the proper products, yet additionally the correct knowledge to look after them. Raising baby chicks is fairly straightforward, you simply have to offer them with the following: A tidy and cozy habitat A lot of food and also water Attention as well as love Environment Your habitat could be an easy box, fish tank, cat provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (with no loosened strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks use straw over paper. Note: Avoid using only paper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow misshapen. You additionally require something to provide food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar lid for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks get older you could introduce a perch into the environment to obtain them educated on setting down. Warmth To keep your chicks heat you should provide them with a warmth source. This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth light bulb also function very well (my referral). Chicks require this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which could take up to two months). The recently hatched out need a temperature level in between 90 as well as 100 levels, as well as every week this could be decreased by approximately 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource must be on simply one side of the cage to allow chicks an array of temperature levels. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are hiding in the opposite corner of your warmth light, you should reduce the temperature level. If they are smothering each other under the heat (not just curling up), you need to include some warmth. House cleaning Tidiness is vital and it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Be sure to alter the bed linens usually and always give clean food and water Food as well as water. Chicks expand very quickly which calls for lots of clean food as well as water. Offer enough at all times and also inspect usually to prevent dehydrated and starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the initial 2 months, then switch over to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for an additional 2 months, then to a slightly reduced protein feed or a level 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 till they are older. If you have the area in your chick room, present a tray of sand or dirt for them to wash in. Interest and love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly most likely bond with you as well as not run away as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily as well as enjoy their actions, you could capture ailment or other issues previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or other harmful indicators. Be sure to additionally look at 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 concerns, such as the smallest chick getting badgered. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are currently totally feathery as well as its time for them to leave the safety and security of your home and relocate outside into a coop. Have a look at our section on chicken coops to read more about cages and also proper coop habitats.Baby Chickens In The Mail Baby Chicks Breeds
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