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Baby Chickens for Sale in Birmingham, Iowa

Baby Chickens for Sale in Birmingham, Iowa

A Chick, Chick Here

It was a typical Tuesday morning at 1840 Farm.  I was 90 minutes into a tomato soup canning session when the phone rang.  When I picked it up, I could immediately hear the “cheep, cheep, cheep” in the background as a not very impressed postal employee informed me that I needed to come pick up my chicks.  I could tell from the tone of his voice that he wanted me there yesterday.

So, hot water bath canner bubbling on the stove, I calmly told him, “I’ll be there in thirty minutes!”  I raced to the garage to set up their new home.  I wasn’t expecting for them to arrive until later this week, but luckily we had already gathered the necessary supplies.  I ran back into the house, turned the heat off under the canning pot, set the timer for five minutes and watched the time tick down.  There was nothing that I could do but wait and hope that they would still be “peeping” when I got there.

They were.  As soon as I entered the post office, I could hear them from the back room.  I waited my turn and told them that I was there for the baby chicks.  They never asked my name.  They didn’t ask to see any form of identification.  They quickly handed over the baby chicks.  They were happy to see my pick up my package and head for the door.  I can tell you that I got a lot of interesting glances as I was walking out to my car.  People tend to stare when you are carrying a package the size of a child’s shoe box that is peeping.

We ordered our heritage breed chicks from .  They were great about offering resources for first time chicken keepers.  They kept recommending not to open the box in front of children as a few of them might not have made the journey and lived to peep about it.  So, I knew what I needed to do.  I carefully cut the strapping tape away from three of the sides.  I gently lifted the lid and tried to count the little fluff balls inside.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!  They had all made it.  Now to get them home and settled in.  My daughter couldn’t wait to get them out of the box and into their little warm brooder.  We opened the box and two hopped right out into the pine shavings.  The rest of them quickly decided that living in their little shipping box forever seemed like a good idea.  Finally, with a little encouragement, they gently set foot into their new space.

We watched them with bated breath.  Would they drink?  Would they eat?  Were they warm enough?  Too warm?  Who knew that chicken keeping was this difficult?  I carefully picked each chick up and dipped its beak into the waterer.  Some happily drank water while others immediately pulled their beaks out of the water as if they were being waterboarded.  Those chicks ran away from the water to the safety of the opposite corner of the brooder.  They were definitely keeping an eye on me.  I was not to be trusted.

That was, until I brought more food.  Then I was back in their good graces as they all investigated their surroundings, had a snack, and settled in under the heat lamp for a well deserved nap.  They were exhausted from their journey.  I was certainly exhausted from mine.

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Baby Chickens for Sale in Birmingham 
IA

Baby Chicks Habitat in Birmingham, Iowa

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Birmingham Iowa, 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. Birmingham Iowa also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Birmingham Iowa, 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 Birmingham IA.

Baby Chicks For Sale in Birmingham, Iowa

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Birmingham Iowa 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Birmingham 
IATypically 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 Birmingham Iowa * 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 Birmingham Iowa * 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 And Ducks in Birmingham, Iowa

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 Birmingham Iowa 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 Birmingham, Iowa Baby chicks are really charming and also hard to resist, but it's best to plan for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first by gathering not just the correct materials, but likewise the proper knowledge to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably easy, you merely need to provide them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy habitat Plenty of food and also water Focus and love Environment Your habitat can be an easy box, aquarium, feline carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (without loosened strings!) to begin, and also after a couple of weeks utilize straw over paper. Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just newspaper or other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You likewise require something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and water dish from the feed store, or a pickle container lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch right into the habitat to get them trained on perching. Heat To maintain your chicks heat you should supply them with a heat source. This can be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb likewise work very well (my suggestion). Chicks need this warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is replaced with plumes (which could take up to two months). The freshly hatched out need a temperature level in between 90 as well as 100 levels, and each week this could be minimized by roughly 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource ought to be on just one side of the cage to enable chicks a range of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermometer- if they are concealing in the contrary edge of your warmth lamp, you should lower the temperature level. If they are smothering each other under the heat (not simply cuddling), you need to add some heat. House cleaning Tidiness is essential as well as it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to change the bed linen often and consistently supply tidy food and water Food and water. Chicks expand extremely fast which needs lots of tidy food and water. Provide enough in any way times as well as check usually to stop dehydrated and also starving chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the very first 2 months, then switch to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for an additional 2 months, and then to a somewhat reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking dirt bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity till they are older. If you have the area in your chick room, introduce a tray of sand or dust for them to shower in. Interest and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you as well as not flee as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and watch their habits, you could capture illness or various other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or various other undesirable indications. Make sure to additionally consider their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted feathers and also blocked cloaca. Finally, it is essential to watch out for social concerns, such as the smallest chick getting badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are currently completely feathery and its time for them to leave the security of your home and also relocate outside into a coop. Have a look at our area on chicken coops for more information concerning cages and proper cage habitats.
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