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 For Easter in
Cherryvale, Kansas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Cherryvale Kansas,
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. Cherryvale
Kansas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Cherryvale Kansas, 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 Cherryvale KS.
Baby Chickens Diet in
Cherryvale, Kansas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Cherryvale Kansas
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
Cherryvale Kansas * 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 Cherryvale
Kansas * 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 Male in
Cherryvale, Kansas
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
Cherryvale Kansas 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 Cherryvale,
Kansas Baby chicks are very
charming as well as
hard to stand up to,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
correct materials, but
likewise the appropriate
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
easy, you just have to supply them with the following: A
clean and warm and comfortable
environment A lot of food as well
as water Attention and also
love Environment Your environment can be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
paper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You also require
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth resource.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally work extremely well (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can take up to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and 100 levels,
and also weekly this could
be reduced by
around 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource should get on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you have to
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you should add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to change
the bed linen
usually and
consistently offer clean
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand very fast
which needs plenty of clean
food and also water. Provide
sufficient at all times and also inspect
typically to
stop parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't use up that task till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
enjoy their habits, you can
capture illness or other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other undesirable
signs. Be sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted plumes as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to look out
for social issues, such as the
smallest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and relocate outside right into a
coop. Check out our
area on chicken cages to learn more
regarding cages and
correct cage habitats.
Baby Chicks For SaleBaby Chickens For Sale Online More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Bucyrus, Kansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Burr Oak, Kansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Andover, Kansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Auburn, Kansas Baby Chickens for Sale in Agra, Kansas