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 Facts in
Melrose Park, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Melrose Park 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. Melrose Park
Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Melrose Park 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 Melrose Park IL.
Baby Chickens Online in
Melrose Park, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Melrose Park 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
Melrose Park 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 Melrose Park
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
Near Me in
Melrose Park, 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
Melrose Park 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 Melrose Park,
Illinois Baby chicks are really
charming as well as
difficult to resist,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
correct products, however
likewise the appropriate
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you just should supply them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
environment A lot of food as well
as water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, aquarium,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid utilizing just
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You additionally require
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you have to
provide them with a heat resource.
This could 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 effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can occupy to 2 months). The newly
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as each week this can
be reduced by
around 5 degrees approximately. The heat source need to get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
lamp, you have to
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you should add some heat.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is essential as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter
the bedding
often as well as
consistently supply clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand very quick
which calls for lots of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
sufficient in any way times and examine
commonly to
stop parched as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others will not take
up that activity until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
view their habits, you can
catch disease or various
other issues previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted feathers and clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
as well as move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
part on chicken coops for more information
about coops and also
appropriate cage habitats.
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