In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby Chickens How To Raise in
Woodward, Iowa
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Woodward 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. Woodward
Iowa also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Woodward 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 Woodward IA.
Baby Chickens Buy in
Woodward, Iowa
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Woodward 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
Woodward 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 Woodward
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
Woodward, 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
Woodward 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 Woodward,
Iowa Baby chicks are quite
cute as well as
difficult to stand up to,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
correct materials, however
also the proper
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you just have to supply them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
habitat Lots of food and also water Interest and
love Habitat Your habitat can be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You likewise need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function very
well (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and weekly this could
be lowered by
around 5 degrees approximately. The warmth source need to get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your heat
light, you need to
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you have to include some heat.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is key and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
usually and
always offer clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which needs plenty of clean
food and water. Provide
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as inspect
frequently to
stop parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not take
up that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Interest and love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly most
likely bond with you as well as
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
see their behavior, you could
capture ailment or other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Make sure to
additionally take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted plumes and clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is important to look out
for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and also relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages to read more
concerning coops as well as
proper cage environments.
Baby Chickens Male Or FemaleBaby Chicks Baby Chickens More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Badger, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Victor, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Harpers Ferry, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Primghar, Iowa Baby Chickens for Sale in Sanborn, Iowa