A couple of months ago our family decided that we were going to get some baby chicks to raise so we could get fresh organic eggs. We were so excited when we walked into the Tractor Supply Store during their “Chick days” we got 6 baby chicks and everything we needed for starting out. They were kept inside for 6 weeks and grew so big in that short amount of time.
A couple of weeks before they were transitioned outside my husband and I built their chicken coop. It was one that we bought on Ebay that looks really cute like a house for chickens. We had never raised chickens before and a few of our neighbors had told us to watch out for predators that would try to get to the chickens.
I was so naïve and would tell my husband that it’s the city near the ocean where neighbors are all over place and that I have never seen any wildlife at all out here! The only animals I have ever seen was squirrels and seagulls. We’ve lived in the country before and I felt sure that nothing would happen here and with our new cute chicken coop for our chickens they would be fine.
Everything went fine the first night and then the second morning when I went out to let them out of the housing part, one of the chicks were on the outside waiting near the coop door. I found that odd and wondered how he got out and then of course to my horror I saw blood and the other 5 were missing. Something had knocked a board up from underneath and all the chickens had fallen out to the ground. We never did find them that day anywhere and decided we were going to take the one back inside for a while. My husband fixed the board in hopes that it would do the trick in the future. Unfortunately the last chicken was killed as well. We found prints all over the coop which look like to me Racoon prints? Our poor chicken was pulled out from some slats that were up underneath.
Again I was so upset. How could this be happening? We spent so much time and energy into having chickens and to me after raising them that short while I realized that chickens have personalities and they were becoming more of a pet to me then anything. We decided to adopt some more from online because we didn’t find any babies in our area so we got some from mypetchicken.com. They arrived safely and are doing very well. I cannot believe how big they are already!
My husband has put so many locks and has altered the chicken coop that there is no way that anything is getting to my babies again!
If your planning to get baby chicks or have gotten some recently and getting ready to put them outdoors please make sure that the coops is bullet proof per say. Apparently there are some critters out there that are wicked smart and clever and get to your animals if you’re not careful.
Lesson learned here, just because we are in the city doesn’t mean that there isn’t any night-time predators lurking to get to my chickens.
Bonnie is a Business Owner and Blogger. She's a Wife, Momma to 5 kiddos and loves anything that has to do with the outdoors, especially gardening. She started her blog in 2013 to share with others her learning to Live greener experiences, Product , with 5 kiddos, DIY projects, Savings, Recipes and more. Reach her at wemake7blog@gmail.com
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Raising Baby Quail Chicks in
Cahone, Colorado
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Cahone Colorado,
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. Cahone
Colorado also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Cahone Colorado, 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 Cahone CO.
Baby Chickens Breeds in
Cahone, Colorado
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Cahone Colorado
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
Cahone Colorado * 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 Cahone
Colorado * 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 Chickens How To Raise in
Cahone, Colorado
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
Cahone Colorado 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 Cahone,
Colorado Baby chicks are very
adorable as well as
difficult to stand up to,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
right materials, but
also the proper
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
easy, you merely need
to provide them with the following: A
clean and warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and also water Focus and
love Environment Your environment could be an easy box, aquarium,
pet cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks use straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You likewise need
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you should
provide them with a heat resource.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally work extremely well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also each week this can
be lowered by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The heat resource must get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you have to
reduce the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not simply curling up),
you should put some warmth.
House cleaning
Sanitation is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
often and
constantly offer tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow really quick
which requires a lot of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as examine
often to
stop parched and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not use up that activity until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Attention and also love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
see their behavior, you can
catch illness or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
signs. Be sure to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted feathers and blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and move outside right into a cage. Look into our
part on chicken cages to learn more
concerning coops and also
appropriate coop environments.
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