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Baby Chickens for Sale in Georgetown, Illinois

Baby Chickens for Sale in Georgetown, Illinois

Brooder Box for baby Chicks: A Tutorial

  • 09/26/2012

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 Chickens for Sale in Georgetown 
IL

Baby Chickens Black in Georgetown, Illinois

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

Baby Chickens For Sale in Georgetown, Illinois

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Georgetown 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 Georgetown 
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 Georgetown 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 Georgetown 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 Georgetown, 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 Georgetown 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 Georgetown, Illinois Baby chicks are extremely cute and also challenging to withstand, but it's ideal to plan for their arrival before you get them. Prepare initially by collecting not just the appropriate materials, but additionally the proper knowledge to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly basic, you just need to offer them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable habitat Plenty of food and water Interest as well as love Environment Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank, feline carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as blankets (with no loose strings!) to start, as well as after a couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid using just paper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You additionally require something to dish out food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water meal from the feed store, or a pickle container cover for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet store. Additionally, as the chicks get older you could introduce a perch into the habitat to get them trained on perching. Heat To keep your chicks warm you should give them with a warmth resource. This can be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth light bulb additionally work very well (my recommendation). Chicks require this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which could use up to two months). The freshly hatched out require a temperature in between 90 and 100 degrees, and every week this could be lowered by roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat resource need to get on simply one side of the cage to allow chicks a variety of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermometer- if they are hiding in the opposite edge of your heat lamp, you should minimize the temperature. If they are surrounding each various other under the heat (not merely cuddling), you need to include some heat. House cleaning Cleanliness is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to change the bed linens often and always provide clean food and water Food and also water. Chicks expand really quick which requires a lot of clean food and also water. Supply enough at all times and also inspect frequently to prevent dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it comes in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the first 2 months, after that change to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, and after that to a somewhat reduced protein feed or a level feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to get a head start on taking dirt bathrooms, while others will not occupy that task until they are older. If you have the room in your chick room, present a tray of sand or dirt for them to shower in. Interest and love There are a few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. To start with, they will probably bond with you and also not escape as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and see their habits, you can catch disease or various other problems earlier. Keep an eye out for hissing, hopping, or various other harmful indicators. Make certain to additionally check out their poop, as diarrhea can lead to matted feathers and stopped up cloaca. Last but not least, it is necessary to watch out for social concerns, such as the littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are currently totally feathery as well as its time for them to leave the security of your house and also relocate outside into a cage. Look into our area on chicken coops for more information about coops as well as correct coop environments.
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