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.
Share this on:
Comments
comments
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.
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
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.
Baby Chicks As PetsBaby Chickens Breeds More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Amana, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Archer, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Aredale, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Alton, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Allison, Iowa