Baby Chickens for Sale in Posen, Illinois
Baby Chickens for Sale in Posen, Illinois
Things I Didn’t Know a Year Ago: Chicken Edition
In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
- Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
- Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
- Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
- People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
- Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
- Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
- Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
- An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
- The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
- Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
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Baby Chickens How To Raise in Posen, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Posen 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. Posen Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Posen 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 Posen IL.Baby Quail Chicks For Sale in Posen, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Posen 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
Posen 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 Posen
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 Male in Posen, 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 Posen 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 Posen, Illinois Baby chicks are very charming and challenging to stand up to, but it's ideal to plan for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first by gathering not only the appropriate products, but likewise the proper expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly straightforward, you simply have to supply them with the following: A clean as well as warm and comfortable environment A lot of food as well as water Focus as well as love Environment Your environment could be a basic box, fish tank, cat service provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and blankets (without loosened strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid utilizing just newspaper or various other sandal surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow misshapen. You likewise need something to serve up food and also water in, such as a chicken feeder and water meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet store. Additionally, as the chicks age you could present a perch into the habitat to obtain them educated on perching. Warmth To maintain your chicks warm you should offer them with a heat resource. This can be as simple as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb also function extremely well (my referral). Chicks need this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The newly hatched out need a temperature between 90 and also 100 levels, and also every week this could be minimized by approximately 5 degrees approximately. The heat source must get on just one side of the cage to allow chicks an array of temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal thermostat- if they are concealing in the opposite edge of your warmth light, you should reduce the temperature. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not just curling up), you should add some heat. House cleaning Sanitation is key and it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter the bedding usually as well as constantly supply tidy food and water Food and water. Chicks grow really quick which requires plenty of tidy food and also water. Supply sufficient whatsoever times and examine frequently to stop parched as well as starving chicks. Chick food is various compared to grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the first 2 months, then switch to a raiser food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for an additional 2 months, and then to a slightly lower protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want to get a running start on taking filth bathrooms, while others will not use up that task until they are older. If you have the room in your chick unit, present a tray of sand or filth for them to bathe in. Attention and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you as well as not run away as adults. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily as well as watch their actions, you can capture disease or other issues previously. Keep an eye out for hissing, hopping, or other unhealthy indicators. Make sure to also check out their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted plumes as well as clogged up cloaca. Lastly, it is necessary to look out for social issues, such as the tiniest chick getting picked on. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are currently totally feathery and its time for them to leave the safety of your residence as well as relocate outside right into a coop. Take a look at our area on chicken cages to read more concerning cages and proper coop environments.Baby Chicks As Pets Baby Chickens How To Care
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