Hi. We are Ken and Mary, and we are addicted to chickens. Seriously.
Spring is the most wonderful time on a farm. If it were any farm other than this one there would be fresh vegetables. However, out here, we’ve not quite found the time for the garden. [Note: If anyone within a reasonable driving distance would like to garden out here, have out it. I have the beds, the seeds, and a brown thumb. But there’s hope.]
What there is and will be more of in the next few weeks, is baby animals. Lambs and goats romp around the barnyard and have a ridiculous amount of fun! It can’t help but lift your spirits to watch them.
And then there are the chickens… and another batch of chickens … and yet another batch of chickens.
The first batch is totally excusable. I didn’t pick them out; our grandgirls, The Three Sisters, picked them out. Each girl picked out 3 chicks. Each chose a different breed. Going to the feed store and picking out chicks to is one of the highlights of their spring! From that batch, we ended up with 3 Buff Orpington’s, 3 Rhode Island Reds, and 3 Ameraucana’s. That was in early March, and they are coming along nicely. (Lousy picture but you can get the idea of their size. It’s hard to photograph a small object that moves!)
Then one day while driving I received a call from Pete, the owner of the feed store, saying that our chicks were there and waiting to be picked up. What chicks? I didn’t order any chicks? It appears that Ken had surreptitiously stopped by the feed store and ordered chicks! So now we have these little darlings (a total of 15 more chicks) — Russian Orloffs, Wyandotts, Speckled Sussex, Black Australopes, Lakenvelders, and something else that slips his mind at the moment. They are nicely feathered out, but still small, so they still have a light to sit under if it’s too cool for them.
But wait! There’s more!
Today, 30 more chicks showed up! Technically, these were the first ones that were ordered, but because of when I placed the order (yes, I’m to blame for these), I had to wait for an April 3rd hatch date. These are a bit different, too, because 25 of the 30 are heritage meat chickens. They will only be, ahem, temporary residents.
Like all brand new chicks, they are little more than balls of fluff. The meat breeds are Red Rangers, Naked Necks (one ugly bird), and Heritage Whites. Then there are also a few Golden Nuggets which, despite the name, are primarily layers. These interesting birds came from in Alabama. They will take a week or two longer to get to market weight than the “Frankenbird” Cornish Crosses that most people raise, but it will be worth it.
So there you have it – our chicken addiction. This will hopefully be the end of buying chicks for this year because it will soon be too warm, but you never know….
Baby Chicks For Easter in
Wheeler, Indiana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Wheeler 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. Wheeler
Indiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Wheeler 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 Wheeler IN.
Baby Chickens Outside in
Wheeler, Indiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Wheeler 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
Wheeler 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 Wheeler
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
Chickens Eggs For Sale in
Wheeler, 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
Wheeler 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 Wheeler,
Indiana Baby chicks are very
adorable as well as
tough to resist,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
appropriate products, but
also the correct
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you simply have to supply them with the following: A
clean and cozy
environment A lot of food and water Attention and also
love Habitat Your environment can be a straightforward box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You additionally require
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks age you can present a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you should
offer them with a warmth resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise work extremely well (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to 2 months). The newly
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 levels,
and every week this could
be decreased by
around 5 degrees approximately. The heat source should get on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your heat
light, you have to
minimize the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you have to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is essential as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to change
the bed linens
often and
always provide tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely fast
which needs a lot of clean
food as well as water. Provide
sufficient whatsoever times and also inspect
commonly to avoid parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not take
up that task up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Focus and also love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you could
catch disease or other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Be sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted plumes and stopped up cloaca.
Lastly, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and relocate outside into a cage. Take a look at our
part on chicken coops to get more information
regarding coops and also
proper cage environments.
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