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 Male in
Ness City, Kansas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Ness City 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. Ness City
Kansas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Ness City 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 Ness City KS.
Baby
Chicks Order in
Ness City, Kansas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Ness City 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
Ness City 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 Ness City
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 Near Me in
Ness City, 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
Ness City 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 Ness City,
Kansas Baby chicks are extremely
cute and also
tough to withstand,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not only the
appropriate materials, but
also the correct
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you merely should give them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food and water Attention as well as
love Environment Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You also require
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a heat resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also work very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
as well as each week this can
be minimized by
about 5 levels or
so. 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 ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you have to
reduce the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not simply cuddling),
you need to include some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is key as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to transform
the bed linens
usually and also
constantly supply clean
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which needs lots of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient in any way times and also examine
usually to
stop thirsty and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to get a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
view their behavior, you can
capture ailment or other issues previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted plumes as well
as blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and move outside into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken coops for more information
regarding coops and
appropriate cage environments.
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