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 Chickens Sale in
Kuttawa, Kentucky
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Kuttawa 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. Kuttawa
Kentucky also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Kuttawa 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 Kuttawa KY.
Baby
Chicks Not Eating in
Kuttawa, Kentucky
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Kuttawa 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
Kuttawa 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 Kuttawa
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 Male in
Kuttawa, 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
Kuttawa 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 Kuttawa,
Kentucky Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
challenging to resist,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
proper products, however
likewise the proper
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you simply need
to offer them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
environment A lot of food as well
as water Interest and
love Habitat Your environment can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid utilizing just
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You likewise require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
supply them with a warmth resource.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature
in between 90 and 100 levels,
as well as weekly this could
be reduced by
roughly 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource need to be on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other edge of your heat
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you have to put some heat.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
usually and also
constantly supply tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow very fast
which requires a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Supply
sufficient in any way times and also examine
often to
stop parched and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
dust baths, while others won't take
up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
see their habits, you can
catch health problem or other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Be sure to
also check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted plumes and also blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
as well as relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops to find out
more
about cages as well as
correct cage environments.
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