I remember when I decided to add chickens to our lives. I had been talking about it for years. I knew I had some things to do before I bought the chickens (food, equipment and fencing supplies). I actually bought the chicks on the spur of the moment one day while I was at the Tractor Supply store. I have now had chickens for 8 years.
I bought some food for the chicks, a feeder, a heat lamp and a waterer. I knew I had a couple weeks before I could put the chicks into a fenced-in area so I would have time to build something.
I put the baby chicks into a tall cardboard box with lots of newspaper in the bottom. As the chicks dirtied the newspaper, I could remove a layer at a time. In about a week, you will need some kind of fencing to cover the top of the box. The chicks will be getting out, if you don’t.
I found a spot in our storage building to put the box and hooked up the heat lamp. You need to be really careful with newspaper, a cardboard box and a heat lamp. I worried that it would catch on fire. I used a regular light bulb instead of one of those infrared lights. It was April so it was pretty warm already.
The chicks grew quickly and after a few weeks, I knew they needed more room. The odor was not pleasant even though I changed the paper every day. The chick’s feeder is a long metal feeder with holes. They would crap on it. Then the water had to be changed every day, too. It only took maybe five to ten minutes a day to clean the box and refill the feeder/water.
We went ahead and made a chicken yard big enough for the chicks as adults. I remember reading somewhere that each chicken needs a 4ft square area. Our goal was to keep somewhere between 6 to 12 hens. I wanted one rooster, too. Now that I have had chickens for a number of years, I can say I didn’t enjoy having a rooster. They make a lot of noise in the mornings. Also, they don’t lay eggs. I often felt sorry for the hens as the rooster jumped on them to mate. If you don’t plan on baby chicks, you don’t need the eggs fertilized.
You will need a shelter at night for them to perch. A place to keep the rain and wind off them, too. In other words, we weren’t worrying about cold weather in Florida. I also made sure I built the fenced-in area under some shade trees to keep the chickens cooler. When they are hot, they tend to open their beaks and also spread their wings.
Another thing, you may have to clip their wings some to keep them from flying over the fence. You just need to clip one wing about two inches or so. Just don’t clip too too much and hurt your chicken. Catching the chicken to clip their wings is fun…lol. You just need to corner it and then reach down and grab it. I must admit, the first time I did it, I thought the chicken would peck me but it didn’t.
Free range chicken eggs are much better for you than the ones you buy at the grocery store so I keep the hens in their yard during their laying time and let them out after I collect the eggs (around 4 or 5pm). They return to their house to perch when it starts to get dark outside. Any time you want them to go back into their yard, just lure them with food and throw it in their yard. Believe me, they come running.
For egg laying nests, we used plastic crates. You can research the size of the nest. I read specific “best” size for a nest and it seems like it was about 14 x 14 inches. Actually, my chickens often laid their eggs on the floor of the house, in a corner. Be sure to collect your eggs every day, especially in the summer. I try to collect the eggs before dinner. They seem to lay somewhere between 11am to 3pm.
If I go away for a couple days, I fill up their waterer and their hanging food container and then just go. Sometimes my neighbor or niece collects the eggs while I am gone. If not, I collect the eggs upon returning and throw them away. It is not safe to eat eggs that have been outside in the heat for days.
To help keep odor down, I kept hay on the floor of the chicken house. During the summer, I often spread a bale of hay in the entire chicken yard. The chickens love to scratch and you will see you have NO grass within a short period of time.
I feed them cracked corn or chicken scratch purchased from the feed store. I keep a small bag of oyster shells on hand, too and throw some out maybe once a week.
You might wonder how many chickens you should you get. Well, I now have just five and they lay at least 12 eggs a week. One day I may get four and another two and then occasionally none. Between baking, keeping hard boiled eggs on hand for salads and making egg salad sandwiches, and then cooking a full breakfast on weekends……that is plenty for us. In fact, I have three dozen eggs in the refrigerator right now.
Remember there is a period of time they will not lay any eggs at all (during the winter). The egg laying process has everything to do with sun light. You can put your chickens under lights and they will continue to lay. I think it is best to allow nature to take it’s course and let the poor chicken’s body rest. Plus, electricity costs money.
I could go on and on about chickens but I will stop now. If you have any questions, you can make a comment and I will try to answer it.
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Vacaville 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. Vacaville
California also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Vacaville 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 Vacaville CA.
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Vacaville 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
Vacaville 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 Vacaville
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.
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
Vacaville 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 Vacaville,
California Baby chicks are very
adorable and also
challenging to resist,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
correct materials, however
likewise the appropriate
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you merely need
to supply them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food as well
as water Interest and also
love Habitat Your environment can be a basic box, aquarium,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
provide them with a warmth resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work effectively (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The newly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also each week this can
be lowered by
roughly 5 degrees or
so. The heat source need to be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your warmth
lamp, you should
decrease the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you have to include some heat.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is crucial and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to change
the bed linen
typically and
constantly offer tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which requires plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Give
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as check
frequently to avoid dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you and
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
enjoy their behavior, you could
capture ailment or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
signs. Be sure to
additionally consider
their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted plumes and also stopped up cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your house
as well as move outside into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken coops to find out
more
concerning cages and
correct coop habitats.