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 Chicks To Buy in
Brighton, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Brighton Illinois,
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. Brighton
Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Brighton Illinois, 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 Brighton IL.
Baby Chickens In
The Mail in
Brighton, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Brighton Illinois
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
Brighton Illinois * 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 Brighton
Illinois * 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
Raising in
Brighton, Illinois
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
Brighton Illinois 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 Brighton,
Illinois Baby chicks are very
charming and
challenging to withstand,
but it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
correct products, yet
additionally the proper
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you just have to supply them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food as well
as water Interest and also
love Habitat Your environment can be an easy box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you have to
offer them with a heat source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The newly
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and each week this can
be reduced by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The heat source ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you have to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you should include some heat.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is key and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bed linen
often and also
always offer tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which calls for plenty of clean
food and water. Supply
enough in any way times as well
as check
typically to
stop dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will probably bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their behavior, you can
capture disease or various
other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
signs. Make certain to
additionally consider
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted feathers and blocked cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken coops for more information
about coops as well as
appropriate cage environments.
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