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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Baby Chickens And
Ducks in
Swink, Colorado
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Swink 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. Swink
Colorado also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Swink 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 Swink CO.
Baby Chickens By Mail in
Swink, Colorado
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Swink 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
Swink 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 Swink
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 Chicks Near Me in
Swink, 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
Swink 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 Swink,
Colorado Baby chicks are extremely
cute and also
hard to stand up to,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
correct materials, however
likewise the appropriate
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you merely have to supply them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
environment Plenty of food and water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You additionally require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Likewise, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth resource.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function very
well (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could use
up to 2 months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also weekly this can
be lowered by
about 5 levels approximately. The heat source ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you have to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not simply cuddling),
you should include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is crucial and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to change
the bed linens
frequently and also
consistently provide clean
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which calls for lots of tidy
food as well as water. Supply
sufficient at all times as well
as inspect
typically to
stop dehydrated and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dust baths, while others will not take
up that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will probably bond with you as well as
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their habits, you could
catch health problem or other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make certain to
likewise look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted feathers and also blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to look out
for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops and
appropriate coop habitats.
Baby Chicks In A BoxBaby Chickens Raising More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Lindon, Colorado Baby Chickens for Sale in Sugar City, Colorado Baby Chickens for Sale in Granite, Colorado Baby Chickens for Sale in Coaldale, Colorado Baby Chickens for Sale in Marvel, Colorado