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 in
Vina, California
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Vina 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. Vina
California also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Vina 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 Vina CA.
Baby Chicks Food in
Vina, California
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Vina 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
Vina 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 Vina
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 As
Pets in
Vina, 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
Vina 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 Vina,
California Baby chicks are extremely
cute as well as
difficult to resist,
however it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
right products, yet
additionally the proper
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you just should give them with the following: A
clean and also warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food and water Attention as well as
love Environment Your habitat could be an easy box, aquarium,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You likewise require
something to dish out 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 an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you should
offer them with a heat source.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function extremely well (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and every week this could
be lowered by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The warmth source need to be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not merely cuddling),
you need to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bed linens
often and also
constantly offer clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quickly
which requires lots of tidy
food as well as water. Give
enough at all times and also inspect
usually to prevent parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you as well as
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
watch their habits, you could
capture health problem or other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted plumes and also clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
as well as move outside right into a cage. Look into our
part on chicken coops to learn more
about cages and also
correct cage habitats.
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