Baby Chickens for Sale in West Point, Illinois
Baby Chickens for Sale in West Point, Illinois
SHTF Chickens, Bock bock
We have had chickens for the last 5-6 years, and they have been enjoyable little workers for our tiny homestead. Awhile ago I was one of the Trustees for our large plot subdivision, that prohibits having chickens. My wife wanted chickens, and she ignored my dislike of the idea, and spoke with the other Trustees. She was asking for a variance to the subdivision rules, and followed their direction getting signatures from a portion of the other homeowners. Once complete, then they had other hoops for her to jump through just to get a vote to change the rules. What??? She just wanted a variance, not to change the rules, or to jump through more hoops to be told no. She asked what would happen if she just got them, and they replied they would sue (with a grin on his face, because he know there were much bigger fish to fry than a pretty girl’s chickens).
So, now we had to build a coop. The coop measured about 8 foot by 4 foot, and about 5 foot high at the top of the angled roof. The floor of the coop is layered with wood shavings and a nesting box provides access into the coop to grab the eggs. My wife built a run measuring 8 foot by 20, out of regular lumber and covered it with chicken wire. The chickens were ordered in a group of 25 baby hens, and she raised them, then found a new home for half of them, as she originally only wanted about a dozen birds.
The birds are allowed to free range throughout the day, and they find their way back into the coop as the sun is setting. We will go out in the evening to close the run and the coop, and open it all up the next morning. A couple of times, the run gets closed before they retire for the night, and we have had to hunt them down roosting in trees and behind bushes in the middle of the night. There is chicken feed to supplement the food they can find free ranging. Their egg production for the first few years was great, we would net about 8 eggs every day. We could had more if we ran a light 16 hours a day in the coop. Now that the remainder of those chickens are older, egg production has dwindled to almost none. She has a couple of new batches of hens (and a rooster, hope the neighbors aren’t too annoyed) that she has raised since May.
The chickens help the yard by scratching around looking for bugs. They are entertaining to watch how they interact with each other and handle their “pecking order”. One bit of advice though, don’t let your wife name them after her aunts, because it is difficult to tell the family that a stray dog, or another predator has killed the chicken named after them. The chickens we have are basically pets that luckily have a small production quality, rather than just being consumers. We have considered getting birds to raise for meat, but we are not ready for handling the day the culling would happen just yet, although the quality of meat would be far superior to what the grocery stores offer.
We also realized how little is known about chicken reproduction. We have been asked numerous time about why we get eggs when we (at the time) did not have a rooster. We also were surprised when someone couldn’t believe we would eat brown eggs that came out of a chicken’s butt. So I asked where the white eggs she buys at the store come from (and watched a blank stare of realization happening). The eggs are very fresh and look much richer than eggs bought from the store, and likely they are a month or two fresher.
If you have some space and the desire to raise chickens, they will be an asset to your little homestead too. Please feel free to comment with your questions or tell us about your flock.
SP
Baby Chickens Eggs in West Point, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in West Point 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. West Point Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in West Point 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 West Point IL.Baby Chickens Names in West Point, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in West Point 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
West Point 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 West Point
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 West Point, 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 West Point 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 West Point, Illinois Baby chicks are really adorable and also difficult to resist, however it's finest to plan for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially by compiling not only the right materials, but additionally the appropriate expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is relatively basic, you simply should give them with the following: A tidy and warm habitat Lots of food and also water Focus and love Habitat Your habitat could be a basic box, aquarium, cat service provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (without any loose strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks use straw over paper. Note: Avoid utilizing just paper or other sandal surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You also need something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar lid for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch right into the environment to get them trained on perching. Warmth To keep your chicks heat you should offer them with a heat source. This can be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth light bulb likewise function extremely well (my recommendation). Chicks require this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is changed with plumes (which can use up to two months). The newly hatched need a temperature between 90 and 100 levels, and weekly this could be minimized by roughly 5 levels or so. The heat resource must be on simply one side of the cage to allow chicks a variety of temperature levels. The chicks are your best thermostat- if they are concealing in the opposite edge of your heat light, you should reduce the temperature. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not just cuddling), you should include some heat. House cleaning Tidiness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to change the bed linens usually as well as consistently offer clean food as well as water Food as well as water. Chicks expand extremely quickly which calls for lots of tidy food and water. Offer sufficient at all times and examine usually to prevent parched and starving chicks. Chick food is various compared to grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the first 2 months, then switch to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for an additional 2 months, then to a somewhat lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to get a head start on taking filth baths, while others will not occupy that activity till they are older. If you have the area in your chick enclosure, present a tray of sand or dust for them to wash in. Attention and also love There are a couple of benefits to hanging out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly probably bond with you and also not run away as adults. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and also watch their actions, you can catch disease or various other problems previously. Keep an eye out for hissing, limping, or various other undesirable indicators. Be sure to additionally look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted feathers and also obstructed cloaca. Last but not least, it is very important to look out for social concerns, such as the tiniest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are now fully feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety of your residence and also relocate outside into a cage. Take a look at our area on chicken coops to find out more concerning coops as well as proper cage environments.Baby Chicks Needs Baby Chickens Hatchery
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