Recently, with the prices of food rising, especially eggs, we decided that we wanted to make a concentrated effort to raise chickens. I have never had the opportunity to interact with chickens other than in grade school when we hatched baby chickens in incubators, so I knew this would have a steep learning curve. After scouring the internet for sites on the different breeds of chickens, we were pleased to discover which had fairly good descriptions and accompanying pictures.
We decided on four different breeds:
1) Brahma:
2) Delaware:
3) Barred Rock:
and one we’re not sure of. We were told she was a Rhode Island Red (), but now we’re assuming she’s an
4) Ameraucana:
We purchased them at 2 weeks old and they’re about 3 months now. One thing I was not prepared for is that each hen has her own personality and quirks, not unlike a puppy. They are curious about everything and always come up to greet us. We decided to not invest in a rooster since our neighbors are relatively close and our alarm clocks are more than adequate.
Besides eggs and meat, another great benefit to having chickens is that their waste can be composted and used as fertilizer. Since they eat practically anything, they also make great food scrap disposals too!
If any of you decide to acquire your own flock of chickens be certain to buy or build your chicken coup first. Chickens grow amazingly fast and before you know it, they will have outgrown their temporary living arrangements. We decided to build our own coup and let me tell you, they take up a great deal of time. We ended up building a 6′ x 6′ base, covered the floor with linoleum, complete with a triangular based roof of which one side “hatches” open for easy cleaning. The whole coup is on wooden stilts attached to concrete slabs which anchor it to the ground. The chicken door opens up into a large chicken run. Our design was pieced together from several other coup designs that others have posted on the internet.
Have you had experiences with chickens? If so, feel free to comment and share.
Barred Rock and a "We're Not Quite Sure" Hen
Baby Chicks Baby
Chickens in
Eldridge, Iowa
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Eldridge 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. Eldridge
Iowa also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Eldridge 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 Eldridge IA.
Baby Chickens Hatching in
Eldridge, Iowa
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Eldridge 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
Eldridge 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 Eldridge
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 Chicks Outside in
Eldridge, 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
Eldridge 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 Eldridge,
Iowa Baby chicks are really
adorable and
difficult to withstand,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
appropriate materials, but
additionally the appropriate
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you just should offer them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
habitat Lots of food and also water Focus and
love Habitat Your habitat can be an easy box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You likewise require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
supply them with a warmth source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise work very
well (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 levels,
as well as each week this could
be lowered by
roughly 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource must be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your heat
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you have to add some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to transform
the bed linen
usually as well as
consistently supply tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand very fast
which calls for plenty of clean
food and also water. Provide
sufficient in any way times as well
as check
typically to
stop thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Focus as well as love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
see their actions, you could
catch health problem or other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other unhealthy
signs. Be sure to
additionally take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted plumes and also blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
and also move outside into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages to learn more
regarding coops and
appropriate coop environments.
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