Things No One Told You About Raising Baby Chicks On The Homestead
There are as many ways and opinions about how to raise chickens as there are chicken breeds. It is amazing at how passionate people are about their chickens and how they raise them. As the little chicks develop you can literally see them changing day to day. One day they had no wing feathers, and the next day they had visibly sprouted. Merissa over at shares raising baby chickens – a beginners guide to baby chicken care.
Raising Baby Chickens & Baby Chicken Care
Who can resist this cute little fuzzy baby chickens at the local farm supply store? They look so sweet and innocent and are just begging for you to take them home.
Even though having raising baby chickens seems easy enough (feed water = happy chickens!), it’s a little more complicated than it appears. Thankfully once you have a few tips and tricks under your belt it will be a breeze and your birds will stay happy and healthy and become the nice, producing flock you hope they will be.
I’ve raised chickens for many many years. When I was little we would have so much fun heading to the feed store and picking out our special birds that we would raise for the 4-H Achievement Days. Then we would spend weeks obsessing over our little birds and watching them as they slowly outgrew their fuzz and gain lovely feathers in all different colors. Of course, not every batch of birds turned out perfectly and there were many bumps along the way, but hopefully you will learn from our mistakes!
Let’s start in the beginning with that trip to the feed store. Most feed stores carry the basic breeds that will grow to be healthy meat and laying birds. You can check out . If you want to raise birds for laying eggs, make sure to get pullets (hens), if you don’t care as much or are raising birds for butchering, you can stick with the cheaper straight run. I’ve personally had one too many roosters chase me across the yard so I stick with all pullets. *Remember, there is always a chance that you may have some roosters, even in a pullet bunch…sexing chickens isn’t always accurate when they are so young.
Tip! Ask your feed store what day they get chickens in from their source and come pick out your birds a few days later. That way you know the birds made it through the shock of being transported and have a higher chance of being healthy.
While you are at the feed store, make sure to pick up several items. You will need a feeder, a waterer, chick starter, wood shavings, and a heat lamp set up. You will also need some kind of rubber or plastic tub if you don’t have one. A plastic tote works well for a small batch of birds, as does a rubber animal waterer. If there is someone around to help you, you can also ask them about baby chicken care, especially if you are getting a specialty breed.
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Raising Baby Chickens in
Coalgood, Kentucky
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Coalgood 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. Coalgood
Kentucky also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Coalgood 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 Coalgood KY.
Baby Chicks in
Coalgood, Kentucky
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Coalgood 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
Coalgood 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 Coalgood
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 Chicks Gender in
Coalgood, 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
Coalgood 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 Coalgood,
Kentucky Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
difficult to stand up to,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
right products, yet
also the correct
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
easy, you merely should offer them with the following: A tidy and warm
environment Plenty of food and also water Focus as well as
love Habitat Your habitat can be an easy box, aquarium,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks use straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You additionally need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you should
provide them with a warmth resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to two months). The newly
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
as well as weekly this can
be lowered by
about 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource ought
to get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not merely snuggling),
you have to put some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bedding
usually and also
always provide clean
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely fast
which needs a lot of clean
food as well as water. Offer
enough at all times and examine
typically to
stop parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to get a running start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their habits, you could
capture ailment or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other undesirable
indications. Make certain to
also take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to watch out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your home
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken cages to get more information
about coops and also
correct cage environments.
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