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
Breeds in
Buckhorn, Kentucky
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Buckhorn Kentucky,
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. Buckhorn
Kentucky also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Buckhorn Kentucky, 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 Buckhorn KY.
Baby Chicks Online in
Buckhorn, Kentucky
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Buckhorn Kentucky
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
Buckhorn Kentucky * 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 Buckhorn
Kentucky * 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 Quail Chicks For
Sale in
Buckhorn, Kentucky
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
Buckhorn Kentucky 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 Buckhorn,
Kentucky Baby chicks are really
cute and
difficult to stand up to,
however it's best to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not only the
proper products, but
also the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
easy, you simply need
to give them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
habitat A lot of food and water Interest as well as
love Environment Your environment can be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you need to
supply them with a heat source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function extremely well (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also each week this can
be lowered by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source need to be on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not just snuggling),
you need to put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is key and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to change
the bedding
typically and
constantly supply clean
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which calls for a lot of clean
food as well as water. Supply
enough in any way times and check
typically to
stop thirsty as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and also
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their actions, you can
capture health problem or other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
likewise check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted plumes and obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
as well as relocate outside into a
coop. Look into our
part on chicken cages to learn more
regarding coops and also
correct coop habitats.
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