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 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.
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
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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