Baby Chickens for Sale in Normal, Illinois
Baby Chickens for Sale in Normal, Illinois
How to build a Chicken Coop for under $50
How to build a Chicken Coop for under $50
Why Raise Chickens?
Really, the question you should ask is “Why not raise chickens?” Raising chickens can be a really rewarding experience. These amazing animals eat a small amount of feed a day, and yet produce one egg about every day of the year. (Out of 365 days a year, they lay about 335 eggs.) They take a couple days off here and there, but for the most part they are great layers. Having complete control over the food you feed your family is also really rewarding. Knowing our chickens eat non-GMO, Organic feed, and are allowed to free-range on our acre yard somehow just makes the eggs taste better. There are many benefits to free-ranging your chickens. First of all, they don’t develop diseases because they are out in the fresh air and not living in their poop. Second, they eat a LOT more bugs and let me tell you, you WANT your chickens to eat bugs. Not only does it help keep your bug(& scorpion) population down, it also increases the amount of Omega-3’s per egg. There are just some things that nature does better! The added bonus of letting your chickens eat bugs is that they will eat less of your store-bought feed which helps bring down your overall cost.
FYI, chickens that are locked up in small spaces are SUPER mean to each other. Like cannibal mean. By cannibal, I mean they will literally eat each other. Seriously. They will gang up on the weakest and peck at it incessantly until it dies and then eat it. It’s all Mean Girls up in there, I’m telling you. So, definitely free-range, okay?
How Much does it Cost to keep Chickens
If you buy “regular” chicken feed, it will only cost you about $11.00 for a 50 lb. bag. Pretty good deal, huh? Well, not really. “Regular” feed is chock full of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) which are KNOWN for making chickens sick. Genetically modified organisms are also called Roundup Ready. GMO’s require massive amounts of pesticides, herbicides & fungicides. Yum. “Regular” feed is also usually pre-packaged with antibiotics. Wasn’t that nice of the feed company? Gosh, they are so nice to give our chickens anti-biotics after making them sick with GMOs. So thoughtful. When all’s said and done and your chickens stop going diarrhea, it will only cost you 82 cents a dozen. Organic, Non-GMO feed is about $24.00 for a 50 lb. bag but the benefits are amazing. Our feed is full of clean grains, as they should be, with no pesticides in them or on them. We also supplement their diet with dinner table scraps. It costs us about $1.75 a dozen. At the store, you can expect to pay $5.99 a dozen for ORGANIC, FREE-RANGE eggs. A Plan is Hatched (I’m freakin’ hilarious) The chicken coop I’m about to show you is one for FREE-RANGE chickens. This means your chickens should only be in the coop to eat feed, lay eggs, and roost/sleep at night. For the rest of the day they should be allowed in a yard so they can stay nice and healthy. I can’t take full credit for this idea. Okay, I can’t take ANY credit for this idea. Kevin and I were talking about how to get rid of our old crib. We couldn’t really give it away to Goodwill because it has that old school drop side that has totally been recalled now for safety issues. Then Kevin mentioned on how that sliding door would come in handy for a chicken coop. YES! Totally! I’ve been wanting to build a new chicken coop, and this thing was pretty much built for me! Well, I took Kevin’s idea and ran with it. I first drew a picture of how I wanted it to look. Yes, I’m a very visual person. (Lydia said it was the best drawing of a crib she’s EVER seen, so that means it’s pretty dang good.) The crib. Ah, crib you’ve served us well. You’ve kept our sweet little babes safe and sound as they have sweetly slumbered. Well, except for that one time when the drop side malfunctioned and Ethan tumbled out when he was 8 mo. old. But let’s forget about that one issue. You have been a great crib and we’re thankful for all your service. Aaannd now you will be a pooping ground for our chickens, mmkay? Ta-da! Here’s the coop all finished! It was SUPER easy. We lined two sides with chicken wire, two sides with wains coating, slapped a roof on that mutha’ and called it a day. Okay, okay. It took a little longer than that. I had to paint it, which actually takes way more spray paint than you’d think. I was actually embarrassed at how many times I kept underestimating the amount of spray paint I needed. It was becoming a problem, how bad I was at estimating my spray paint needs. I kept going back to the store and I totally felt like the checkout lady was thinking, “Really? MORE spray paint?” And I, feeling stupid for being the worst spray paint estimator ever, imagined yelling, “Yes, it’s for my chickens, OKAY?!!” The drop side comes down just enough to gather eggs and fill the feeder. I totally cut these pieces myself. I also cut the table I was using but we won’t dwell on that. Sorry Kevin! You’re still “not mad”, right??? A chicken coops not a chicken coop ’till you put an actual picture of a chicken on it, right? I thought so. It has a simple roof made of wains coating and trim. Underneath is a simple frame of 1x2s. Did I mention it was simple? Super cute, right? And cheap, which makes the Mr. Husband happy.
P.S. My friend Claire from wrote an excellent guide on (and raising chickens in the winter in general). I highly recommend it!
Do you own chickens? Have you ever thought of raising chickens? You should! And you should totally use your old crib because, well, it’s super cheap and super cool.
Baby Chickens For Sale Near Me in Normal, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Normal 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. Normal Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Normal 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 Normal IL.Baby Chickens in Normal, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Normal 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
Normal 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 Normal
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 To Buy in Normal, 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 Normal 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 Normal, Illinois Baby chicks are really charming as well as challenging to stand up to, however it's ideal to prepare for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first by compiling not just the right products, however likewise the correct expertise to look after them. Raising baby chicks is relatively basic, you merely have to offer them with the following: A clean and warm environment Lots of food and also water Focus as well as love Habitat Your environment could be a simple box, aquarium, cat carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and also coverings (without loosened strings!) to begin, and also after a couple of weeks make use of straw over paper. Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just paper or various other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow misshapen. You also need something to dish out food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container lid for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch into the environment to obtain them trained on setting down. Warmth To maintain your chicks heat you need to give them with a warmth resource. This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat bulb likewise function effectively (my recommendation). Chicks need this warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which could use up to two months). The freshly hatched need a temperature between 90 as well as 100 levels, as well as each week this can be decreased by roughly 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource need to be on simply one side of the cage to permit chicks a range of temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal thermometer- if they are hiding in the contrary corner of your heat light, you should minimize the temperature level. If they are surrounding each other under the warmth (not merely snuggling), you should add some warmth. Housekeeping Cleanliness is crucial as well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter the bed linen usually and also always offer tidy food and also water Food and water. Chicks expand very fast which requires plenty of clean food and also water. Offer enough in any way times and inspect commonly to stop dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared to adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the very first 2 months, then change to a raiser food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for one more 2 months, then to a somewhat lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking filth baths, while others will not use up that activity until they are older. If you have the space in your chick unit, present a tray of sand or dust for them to shower in. Focus and love There are a few advantages to hanging out with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you as well as not flee as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily as well as view their actions, you can capture illness or other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or other harmful signs. Be sure to likewise check out their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted plumes and also obstructed cloaca. Finally, it is necessary to look out for social issues, such as the smallest chick getting picked on. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are currently completely feathery and also its time for them to leave the security of your residence and move outside into a cage. Look into our section on chicken cages to read more concerning coops and correct cage environments.Baby Chicks Mail Order Baby Chickens Coop
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