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 Under Lights in
Louviers, Colorado
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Louviers 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. Louviers
Colorado also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Louviers 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 Louviers CO.
Baby Chickens Buy in
Louviers, Colorado
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Louviers 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
Louviers 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 Louviers
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 For Sale in
Louviers, 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
Louviers 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 Louviers,
Colorado Baby chicks are extremely
cute and also
difficult to stand up to,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper products, however
additionally the appropriate
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you simply need
to provide them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
habitat Lots of food and water Interest and also
love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You additionally require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you need to
provide them with a heat source.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could occupy to two months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as every week this can
be lowered by
about 5 levels approximately. The heat source need to be on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you have to add some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bedding
commonly as well as
consistently offer tidy
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks expand very quickly
which needs a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Provide
sufficient whatsoever times and also inspect
commonly to avoid parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
filth baths, while others will not take
up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention and love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly probably bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
see their actions, you could
capture illness or other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other harmful
signs. Make sure to
also look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could bring about matted plumes as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also move outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops to read more
concerning coops and also
appropriate coop environments.
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