Recently, with the prices of food rising, especially eggs, we decided that we wanted to make a concentrated effort to raise chickens. I have never had the opportunity to interact with chickens other than in grade school when we hatched baby chickens in incubators, so I knew this would have a steep learning curve. After scouring the internet for sites on the different breeds of chickens, we were pleased to discover which had fairly good descriptions and accompanying pictures.
We decided on four different breeds:
1) Brahma:
2) Delaware:
3) Barred Rock:
and one we’re not sure of. We were told she was a Rhode Island Red (), but now we’re assuming she’s an
4) Ameraucana:
We purchased them at 2 weeks old and they’re about 3 months now. One thing I was not prepared for is that each hen has her own personality and quirks, not unlike a puppy. They are curious about everything and always come up to greet us. We decided to not invest in a rooster since our neighbors are relatively close and our alarm clocks are more than adequate.
Besides eggs and meat, another great benefit to having chickens is that their waste can be composted and used as fertilizer. Since they eat practically anything, they also make great food scrap disposals too!
If any of you decide to acquire your own flock of chickens be certain to buy or build your chicken coup first. Chickens grow amazingly fast and before you know it, they will have outgrown their temporary living arrangements. We decided to build our own coup and let me tell you, they take up a great deal of time. We ended up building a 6′ x 6′ base, covered the floor with linoleum, complete with a triangular based roof of which one side “hatches” open for easy cleaning. The whole coup is on wooden stilts attached to concrete slabs which anchor it to the ground. The chicken door opens up into a large chicken run. Our design was pieced together from several other coup designs that others have posted on the internet.
Have you had experiences with chickens? If so, feel free to comment and share.
Barred Rock and a "We're Not Quite Sure" Hen
Baby Chicks Home in
Como, Colorado
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Como 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. Como
Colorado also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Como 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 Como CO.
Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in
Como, Colorado
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Como 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
Como 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 Como
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 Under Lights in
Como, 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
Como 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 Como,
Colorado Baby chicks are extremely
charming and also
tough to stand up to,
yet it's best to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
correct materials, however
additionally the proper
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you just need
to offer them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
habitat Plenty of food as well
as water Attention as well as
love Environment Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You likewise require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
and weekly this could
be reduced by
approximately 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource need to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your heat
lamp, you should
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not merely curling up),
you should put some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is crucial and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bed linens
usually and
consistently provide tidy
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow really quick
which calls for lots of tidy
food as well as water. Give
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as inspect
usually to
stop dehydrated and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't occupy that activity up 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 love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their habits, you can
catch health problem or other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
various other undesirable
signs. Be sure to
additionally consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted plumes as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also move outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to get more information
about cages and also
correct coop environments.
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