Our little darling chicks have arrived! We ordered from mypetchicken.com and found the selection and service to be excellent. The chicks shipped super fast and were all healthy and well when they arrived (oh and so soft and cute!). Our little gal chicks will live in their brooder box for about 4-6 weeks, then transition to their chicken coop outdoors, where they will have free range of our backyard once they are full grown.
Investing in chicks can start to get expensive if you don’t DIY. I considered just using a large cardboard box to keep them in for those first 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I read about chick care said that a large cardboard box would soon be too small for the growing chicks (and potentially too short as well for when they try flying). Mypetchicken.com sells a for $72 shipping; however to save some cash, I decided to copy the idea using left over moving boxes I had laying around.
You will need:
2 Large cardboard boxes of the same size
cutting tool
strong tape (duct tape works)
It’s so simple: cut a side open on the two boxes, open them up and then tape the edges together, folding the bottoms in together so they sort of weave and interlock. You can choose to tape those inside flaps together for added stability.
Added bonus for this design: when the chicks get bigger and can start jumping and trying to fly, you can fold up the top flaps of the boxes and tape them together to add 5 plus inches to the height of your box – cool! You can also grab a couple long sticks or dowels and punch holes in the sides of the cardboard to set up roosting perches for the chicks about 1-2 inches off the ground.
To make removing and cleaning the pine bedding easier, I picked up a painters drop cloth at the hardware store for $8, size 5×5, and laid it inside the pen before putting down the bedding. This will allow me to wrap up the entire bedding/poop mess inside the drop cloth and carry it out to the compost pile.
Other items needed for our 6 little birds were purchased at a local feed store:
$5.50 – buy the large one so you don’t have to buy it later when the birds get bigger and try to knock over a smaller sized one you may have bought at first. Saves you money and time!
$4
3 cubic feet of compressed $8
25 lbs $12
From Amazon I purchased a for $11.20
and from Amazon also I purchased a $12
My home-made “package” cost $55.70, compared to the starter kit from mypetchicken.com priced at $72 plus shipping. As an added bonus, I purchased 5 times as much food, got a larger watering device and a metal feeder instead of plastic. I also was able to get 20 times as much pine bedding and a much sturdier heatlamp. I’d say that’s a win! Plus, I do think my recycled cardboard chick house ended up being larger than the size of the packaged one.
And man, are they cute! My son loves going in there during the day with me to check on them.
For more information on raising baby chicks, I recommend
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Baby Chickens Male Or Female in
Hesston, Kansas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Hesston 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. Hesston
Kansas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Hesston 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 Hesston KS.
Baby Chickens
Near Me in
Hesston, Kansas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Hesston 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
Hesston 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 Hesston
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 Baby
Chickens in
Hesston, 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
Hesston 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 Hesston,
Kansas Baby chicks are very
adorable and also
hard to resist,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
right products, however
likewise the correct
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
easy, you merely should supply them with the following: A
clean and warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food as well
as water Focus and also
love Environment Your habitat can be an easy box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You also require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The newly
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and each week this could
be reduced by
about 5 levels or
so. The warmth source must get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your heat
light, you have to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not merely curling up),
you have to put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
frequently and
consistently offer tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow really quick
which needs a lot of clean
food as well as water. Provide
enough whatsoever times and also inspect
frequently to
stop thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you and also
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
view their behavior, you can
catch ailment or various
other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other harmful
indications. Be sure to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted plumes and clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
as well as relocate outside into a
coop. Check out our
part on chicken coops to read more
concerning coops and
proper coop environments.
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