Things No One Told You About Raising Baby Chicks On The Homestead
There are as many ways and opinions about how to raise chickens as there are chicken breeds. It is amazing at how passionate people are about their chickens and how they raise them. As the little chicks develop you can literally see them changing day to day. One day they had no wing feathers, and the next day they had visibly sprouted. Merissa over at shares raising baby chickens – a beginners guide to baby chicken care.
Raising Baby Chickens & Baby Chicken Care
Who can resist this cute little fuzzy baby chickens at the local farm supply store? They look so sweet and innocent and are just begging for you to take them home.
Even though having raising baby chickens seems easy enough (feed water = happy chickens!), it’s a little more complicated than it appears. Thankfully once you have a few tips and tricks under your belt it will be a breeze and your birds will stay happy and healthy and become the nice, producing flock you hope they will be.
I’ve raised chickens for many many years. When I was little we would have so much fun heading to the feed store and picking out our special birds that we would raise for the 4-H Achievement Days. Then we would spend weeks obsessing over our little birds and watching them as they slowly outgrew their fuzz and gain lovely feathers in all different colors. Of course, not every batch of birds turned out perfectly and there were many bumps along the way, but hopefully you will learn from our mistakes!
Let’s start in the beginning with that trip to the feed store. Most feed stores carry the basic breeds that will grow to be healthy meat and laying birds. You can check out . If you want to raise birds for laying eggs, make sure to get pullets (hens), if you don’t care as much or are raising birds for butchering, you can stick with the cheaper straight run. I’ve personally had one too many roosters chase me across the yard so I stick with all pullets. *Remember, there is always a chance that you may have some roosters, even in a pullet bunch…sexing chickens isn’t always accurate when they are so young.
Tip! Ask your feed store what day they get chickens in from their source and come pick out your birds a few days later. That way you know the birds made it through the shock of being transported and have a higher chance of being healthy.
While you are at the feed store, make sure to pick up several items. You will need a feeder, a waterer, chick starter, wood shavings, and a heat lamp set up. You will also need some kind of rubber or plastic tub if you don’t have one. A plastic tote works well for a small batch of birds, as does a rubber animal waterer. If there is someone around to help you, you can also ask them about baby chicken care, especially if you are getting a specialty breed.
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Baby
Chicks In A Box in
Henryville, Indiana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Henryville Indiana,
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. Henryville
Indiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Henryville Indiana, 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 Henryville IN.
Baby Chickens Bedding in
Henryville, Indiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Henryville Indiana
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
Henryville Indiana * 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 Henryville
Indiana * 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 Supplies in
Henryville, Indiana
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
Henryville Indiana 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 Henryville,
Indiana Baby chicks are quite
cute as well as
challenging to stand up to,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
correct materials, but
additionally the appropriate
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you merely should offer them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
habitat A lot of food and water Attention and also
love Environment Your environment can be a
simple box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
newspaper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You additionally require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
as well as weekly this could
be reduced by
around 5 levels or
so. The warmth source need to get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you should
minimize the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you need to add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Be sure to alter
the bed linen
typically as well as
always provide tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which requires a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Give
enough at all times and inspect
frequently to
stop dehydrated and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dust baths, while others won't take
up that task up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
view their actions, you can
capture health problem or other troubles earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other undesirable
indications. Be sure to
also check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted plumes and also clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is important to watch out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken cages to find out
more
regarding coops and
proper cage environments.
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