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Baby Chickens for Sale in Vina, California

Baby Chickens for Sale in Vina, California

Brooder Box for baby Chicks: A Tutorial

  • 09/26/2012

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 for Sale in Vina 
CA

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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Vina 
CATypically 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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