A couple of months ago our family decided that we were going to get some baby chicks to raise so we could get fresh organic eggs. We were so excited when we walked into the Tractor Supply Store during their “Chick days” we got 6 baby chicks and everything we needed for starting out. They were kept inside for 6 weeks and grew so big in that short amount of time.
A couple of weeks before they were transitioned outside my husband and I built their chicken coop. It was one that we bought on Ebay that looks really cute like a house for chickens. We had never raised chickens before and a few of our neighbors had told us to watch out for predators that would try to get to the chickens.
I was so naïve and would tell my husband that it’s the city near the ocean where neighbors are all over place and that I have never seen any wildlife at all out here! The only animals I have ever seen was squirrels and seagulls. We’ve lived in the country before and I felt sure that nothing would happen here and with our new cute chicken coop for our chickens they would be fine.
Everything went fine the first night and then the second morning when I went out to let them out of the housing part, one of the chicks were on the outside waiting near the coop door. I found that odd and wondered how he got out and then of course to my horror I saw blood and the other 5 were missing. Something had knocked a board up from underneath and all the chickens had fallen out to the ground. We never did find them that day anywhere and decided we were going to take the one back inside for a while. My husband fixed the board in hopes that it would do the trick in the future. Unfortunately the last chicken was killed as well. We found prints all over the coop which look like to me Racoon prints? Our poor chicken was pulled out from some slats that were up underneath.
Again I was so upset. How could this be happening? We spent so much time and energy into having chickens and to me after raising them that short while I realized that chickens have personalities and they were becoming more of a pet to me then anything. We decided to adopt some more from online because we didn’t find any babies in our area so we got some from mypetchicken.com. They arrived safely and are doing very well. I cannot believe how big they are already!
My husband has put so many locks and has altered the chicken coop that there is no way that anything is getting to my babies again!
If your planning to get baby chicks or have gotten some recently and getting ready to put them outdoors please make sure that the coops is bullet proof per say. Apparently there are some critters out there that are wicked smart and clever and get to your animals if you’re not careful.
Lesson learned here, just because we are in the city doesn’t mean that there isn’t any night-time predators lurking to get to my chickens.
Bonnie is a Business Owner and Blogger. She's a Wife, Momma to 5 kiddos and loves anything that has to do with the outdoors, especially gardening. She started her blog in 2013 to share with others her learning to Live greener experiences, Product , with 5 kiddos, DIY projects, Savings, Recipes and more. Reach her at wemake7blog@gmail.com
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Baby Chicks Habitat in
Valier, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Valier 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. Valier
Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Valier 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 Valier IL.
Baby
Chicks Not Eating in
Valier, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Valier 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
Valier 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 Valier
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 Mail Order in
Valier, 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
Valier 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 Valier,
Illinois Baby chicks are extremely
charming and
difficult to resist,
but it's best to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
right materials, but
likewise the proper
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you just should give them with the following: A
clean and also warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and water Interest and
love Habitat Your habitat could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You also need
something to dish out food and also
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 bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
right into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function extremely well (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 levels,
and weekly this can
be reduced by
around 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource need to get on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
light, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not simply curling up),
you need to add some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
often and
consistently offer tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which needs plenty of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times and also examine
typically to
stop thirsty and
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not use up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus and love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly most
likely bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
view their actions, you could
capture disease or other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Be sure to
also look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted plumes as well
as clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to look out
for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and relocate outside into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages to find out
more
about cages and also
appropriate cage habitats.
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