Our little darling chicks have arrived! We ordered from mypetchicken.com and found the selection and service to be excellent. The chicks shipped super fast and were all healthy and well when they arrived (oh and so soft and cute!). Our little gal chicks will live in their brooder box for about 4-6 weeks, then transition to their chicken coop outdoors, where they will have free range of our backyard once they are full grown.
Investing in chicks can start to get expensive if you don’t DIY. I considered just using a large cardboard box to keep them in for those first 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I read about chick care said that a large cardboard box would soon be too small for the growing chicks (and potentially too short as well for when they try flying). Mypetchicken.com sells a for $72 shipping; however to save some cash, I decided to copy the idea using left over moving boxes I had laying around.
You will need:
2 Large cardboard boxes of the same size
cutting tool
strong tape (duct tape works)
It’s so simple: cut a side open on the two boxes, open them up and then tape the edges together, folding the bottoms in together so they sort of weave and interlock. You can choose to tape those inside flaps together for added stability.
Added bonus for this design: when the chicks get bigger and can start jumping and trying to fly, you can fold up the top flaps of the boxes and tape them together to add 5 plus inches to the height of your box – cool! You can also grab a couple long sticks or dowels and punch holes in the sides of the cardboard to set up roosting perches for the chicks about 1-2 inches off the ground.
To make removing and cleaning the pine bedding easier, I picked up a painters drop cloth at the hardware store for $8, size 5×5, and laid it inside the pen before putting down the bedding. This will allow me to wrap up the entire bedding/poop mess inside the drop cloth and carry it out to the compost pile.
Other items needed for our 6 little birds were purchased at a local feed store:
$5.50 – buy the large one so you don’t have to buy it later when the birds get bigger and try to knock over a smaller sized one you may have bought at first. Saves you money and time!
$4
3 cubic feet of compressed $8
25 lbs $12
From Amazon I purchased a for $11.20
and from Amazon also I purchased a $12
My home-made “package” cost $55.70, compared to the starter kit from mypetchicken.com priced at $72 plus shipping. As an added bonus, I purchased 5 times as much food, got a larger watering device and a metal feeder instead of plastic. I also was able to get 20 times as much pine bedding and a much sturdier heatlamp. I’d say that’s a win! Plus, I do think my recycled cardboard chick house ended up being larger than the size of the packaged one.
And man, are they cute! My son loves going in there during the day with me to check on them.
For more information on raising baby chicks, I recommend
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Baby Chickens By Mail in
Waveland, Indiana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Waveland 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. Waveland
Indiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Waveland 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 Waveland IN.
Baby Chicks Care in
Waveland, Indiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Waveland 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
Waveland 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 Waveland
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
Outside With Heat Lamp in
Waveland, 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
Waveland 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 Waveland,
Indiana Baby chicks are really
cute and also
difficult to stand up to,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not only the
right materials, but
additionally the appropriate
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
straightforward, you just should provide them with the following: A
clean and also warm
environment Lots of food and water Interest and
love Habitat Your habitat could be an easy box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
paper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You likewise 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 container
lid for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Also, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth source.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
as well as weekly this could
be decreased by
around 5 levels approximately. The heat source must get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your warmth
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you need to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is crucial and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to alter
the bedding
commonly and also
consistently provide tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite fast
which requires plenty of tidy
food and water. Give
sufficient at all times as well
as inspect
often to prevent dehydrated as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dust baths, while others won't occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will probably bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their actions, you could
catch ailment or various
other issues earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make sure to
also consider
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted feathers as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
as well as move outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops to learn more
about coops as well as
proper coop environments.
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