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
Latest posts by WEMAKE7 ()
- April 25, 2016
- April 25, 2016
- April 24, 2016
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading...
Baby Chickens By Mail in
Cooksville, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Cooksville 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. Cooksville
Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Cooksville 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 Cooksville IL.
Baby
Chicks For Sale in
Cooksville, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Cooksville 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
Cooksville 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 Cooksville
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 Chickens Diet in
Cooksville, 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
Cooksville 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 Cooksville,
Illinois Baby chicks are extremely
cute as well as
challenging to withstand,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not only the
correct products, however
also the proper
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you simply need
to offer them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
environment Lots of food and water Focus as well as
love Environment Your habitat could be an easy box, aquarium,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You likewise require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you could present a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a heat resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could occupy to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
as well as each week this can
be decreased by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The heat source ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your heat
lamp, you should
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not simply curling up),
you need to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital and it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linens
often and
constantly supply tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand really quickly
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Offer
enough at all times and also inspect
frequently to
stop thirsty and
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
filth baths, while others won't use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Interest and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will probably bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their habits, you can
catch disease or various
other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Make sure to
also check out
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted feathers and blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to watch out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our
section on chicken coops to learn more
concerning coops and also
appropriate cage habitats.
Baby Chickens How To Care For ThemBaby Chicks And Ducks More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Ancona, Illinois Baby Chickens for Sale in Andalusia, Illinois Baby Chickens for Sale in Clinton, Illinois Baby Chickens for Sale in Athens, Illinois Baby Chickens for Sale in Antioch, Illinois