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Baby Chickens for Sale in Dana, Illinois

Baby Chickens for Sale in Dana, Illinois

Our First Experiences With Chickens

Our Brahma Hen

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 Chickens for Sale in Dana 
IL

Baby Chickens Bedding in Dana, Illinois

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Dana 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. Dana Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Dana 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 Dana IL.

Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in Dana, Illinois

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Dana 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Dana 
ILTypically 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 Dana 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 Dana 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 Eggs For Sale in Dana, 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 Dana 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 Dana, Illinois Baby chicks are very cute and also difficult to resist, yet it's best to prepare for their arrival before you get them. Prepare initially by compiling not only the correct materials, yet additionally the appropriate expertise to care for them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably basic, you merely have to give them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable environment Lots of food as well as water Focus as well as love Habitat Your habitat can be a simple box, fish tank, pet cat carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as blankets (without loose strings!) to begin, and also after a couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid utilizing only paper or other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand malformed. You also require something to serve up food and also water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container cover for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you could present a perch right into the environment to get them educated on perching. Warmth To keep your chicks warm you should give 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 store, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb also work extremely well (my referral). Chicks require this warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which can take up to 2 months). The recently hatched need a temperature level in between 90 and also 100 levels, and weekly this could be reduced by around 5 levels or so. The warmth resource ought to be on just one side of the cage to enable chicks a range of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermometer- if they are concealing in the other corner of your heat light, you have to decrease the temperature. If they are surrounding each other under the heat (not just snuggling), you should put some warmth. Housekeeping Sanitation is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Be sure to alter the bed linens typically as well as consistently offer clean food as well as water Food and water. Chicks grow very quickly which needs plenty of clean food and also water. Provide sufficient at all times and inspect commonly to stop dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared to adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the first two months, then change to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for one more 2 months, and then to a somewhat lower protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to obtain a head start on taking filth baths, while others will not use up that task until they are older. If you have the space in your chick room, introduce a tray of sand or dust for them to wash in. Attention and also love There are a few advantages to hanging out with your chicks. Firstly, they will more than likely bond with you as well as not escape as grownups. Second, if you examine your chicks daily as well as watch their actions, you can capture ailment or various other problems earlier. Keep an eye out for hissing, hopping, or other harmful indicators. Make sure to additionally look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers and blocked cloaca. Lastly, it is important to watch out for social concerns, such as the littlest chick getting picked on. Vacant nest disorder So your chicks are currently fully feathery and also its time for them to leave the security of your house and also move outside into a cage. Take a look at our area on chicken cages to get more information concerning cages and also correct coop environments.
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