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 Chickens Male Or Female in
Wallingford, Iowa
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Wallingford 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. Wallingford
Iowa also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Wallingford 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 Wallingford IA.
Baby Chickens Food in
Wallingford, Iowa
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Wallingford 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
Wallingford 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 Wallingford
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 Care in
Wallingford, 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
Wallingford 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 Wallingford,
Iowa Baby chicks are quite
adorable as well as
challenging to withstand,
but it's best to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
proper materials, however
likewise the appropriate
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
easy, you just have to offer them with the following: A tidy and warm
habitat A lot of food and water Focus and
love Environment Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You also need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work effectively (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and every week this can
be decreased by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The heat source should get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your heat
light, you have to
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not merely snuggling),
you need to include some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linen
typically and
always give tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks grow quite quickly
which requires plenty of tidy
food and water. Offer
sufficient in any way times as well
as check
commonly to
stop dehydrated and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Interest as well as love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly probably bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
view their behavior, you could
catch health problem or various
other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
other undesirable
indications. Make certain to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted plumes as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathery
and its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also relocate outside into a
coop. Take a look at our
part on chicken cages to learn more
regarding coops and also
correct coop environments.
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