Chickens are social birds and really need to have at least one friend, so count on starting with a minimum of two. Having multiple birds will also help them keep each other warm in the winter time. So, how many should you get? I read somewhere that two hens per family member is a good guideline. By their rule, if you have a family of 5, that would mean 10 hens. But also keep in mind that young hens can lay one egg every 1-2 days during the warm months. That means you could have 35-70 eggs in one week’s time! That’s quite a few eggs. Now you can freeze eggs, cook or bake items that use eggs and freeze those, but you still should take that into consideration when deciding how many. Personally if we were to start again, I would go with 5-8 hens. This coming from the family that currently has 18 hens … but we’re also selling quite a few eggs.
We’ve never gotten eggs for incubation, so I can’t offer any advice on how to start there.
Our chickens have always come as baby chicks. There are two ways I know of to get chickens this way – buy them local or find an online source. I’m pretty sure our local Blaine’s Farm & Fleet has chickens each spring. Selection would be limited but you should find only those breeds suited to your area.
We’ve had good luck ordering from Murray McMurray Hatchery. They have a wide array of breeds and you can find some good deals (which is how we ended up ordering 45 birds the first time!). The downside to mail-ordering birds is there is usually a minimum number you have to order so they can keep each other warm in the box during the few days they are being shipped. And yes, they do actually come via US Postal Service. The post office knows how to handle them so they get to you in time. There’s always a risk of chicks not surviving the shipping process. We lost one last year when we ordered again. Sometimes hatcheries will take that into consideration and throw in an extra bird just in case (but don’t count on it). Let them know if a bird doesn’t survive – they may give you a refund or discount if it’s within 24-48 hrs of arrival.
If you get baby chicks instead of full-grown hens, keep in mind that you will need to keep them warm … like 90-95°F warm the first few weeks of their lives. This requires a heat lamp or some other heat source, and a “brooder” area where you can make sure they are draft-free. This area could be inside your existing coop (if there aren’t hens in there already), but you’ll want to contain them in a smaller size to make sure they stay warm. As the weeks pass you can move the heat lamp up, reducing the temperature by 5-degrees per week until they’re ready to go outside.
You could also check out local sites like Craigslist as there might be some people that received full-grown chickens can no longer keep them.
There are a multitude of choices for chicken breeds out there. You can get
great egg-producers
dual-purpose breeds (if you intend to eat your birds later)
breeds that are cold-hardy
“fancy” birds with amazing plumage, aka ornamentals
rare breeds – some of which are endangered.
and have great listings of chicken breeds to help you sort it out.
For our location, we wanted to make sure our chickens would be cold-hardy. We also wanted fairly good layers, so most of our hens are either Speckled Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. We also had good luck with Buff Orpingtons. Opal is our one remaining Silver-Laced Wyandotte from the first batch.
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Baby Chickens Outside in
Thornton, Iowa
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Thornton 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. Thornton
Iowa also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Thornton 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 Thornton IA.
Baby Chickens Food in
Thornton, Iowa
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Thornton 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
Thornton 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 Thornton
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 Bedding in
Thornton, 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
Thornton 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 Thornton,
Iowa Baby chicks are really
charming and also
difficult to withstand,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
correct materials, however
likewise the proper
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you just need
to provide them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
environment A lot of food and also water Focus and
love Habitat Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also need
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and a pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you should
offer them with a heat source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also work extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could use
up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also each week this can
be lowered by
around 5 levels approximately. The heat resource need to be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not just snuggling),
you need to include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is vital as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bed linens
commonly as well as
consistently give tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which requires lots of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
enough in any way times as well
as examine
often to avoid thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
dust baths, while others won't occupy that activity up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus and also love There are a
few advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will more than likely bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
enjoy their habits, you can
capture illness or other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
signs. Make sure to
likewise consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could lead
to matted feathers and also clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
as well as move outside into a
coop. Check out our
part on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops as well as
correct cage environments.
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