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Baby Chickens for Sale in Hills, Iowa

Baby Chickens for Sale in Hills, 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 Hills 
IA

Baby Chicks And Ducks in Hills, Iowa

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

Baby Chicks Near Me in Hills, Iowa

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Hills 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 Hills 
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 Hills 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 Hills 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 Food in Hills, 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 Hills 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 Hills, Iowa Baby chicks are really charming and also hard to resist, yet it's finest to plan for their arrival before you get them. Prepare initially by gathering not just the proper materials, yet additionally the proper expertise to care for them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably straightforward, you merely have to supply them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable environment Lots of food as well as water Attention as well as love Environment Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank, pet cat carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (with no loosened strings!) to start, as well as after a couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid utilizing just newspaper or various other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand misshapen. You also require something to dish out food and also water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch into the habitat to obtain them educated on perching. Warmth To keep your chicks warm you have to offer them with a warmth source. This could be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb also function extremely well (my suggestion). Chicks require this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which can use up to 2 months). The freshly hatched out require a temperature in between 90 and 100 levels, and also each week this could be decreased by around 5 levels or so. The warmth source must get on just one side of the cage to enable chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are hiding in the other corner of your heat lamp, you have to reduce the temperature level. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not simply snuggling), you should put some heat. House cleaning Tidiness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform the bed linen commonly and also constantly offer clean food as well as water Food as well as water. Chicks expand extremely fast which requires a lot of clean food and water. Offer enough in any way times and examine frequently to avoid dehydrated as well as starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the initial 2 months, after that change to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for an additional 2 months, then to a slightly reduced protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking dust baths, while others will not take up that activity till they are older. If you have the area in your chick enclosure, present a tray of sand or filth for them to bathe in. Attention as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will probably bond with you and also not escape as grownups. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and also see their habits, you could capture ailment or other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or various other harmful indications. Make certain to also consider their poop, as diarrhea could lead to matted feathers and clogged cloaca. Last but not least, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the smallest chick getting picked on. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are currently completely feathery and its time for them to leave the safety and security of your house and also move outside into a cage. Take a look at our area on chicken coops to find out more regarding cages and appropriate cage habitats.
Baby Chicks     Baby Chicks Care
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