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 For Easter in
Thornton, Kentucky
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Thornton 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. Thornton
Kentucky also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Thornton 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 Thornton KY.
Baby Chickens in
Thornton, Kentucky
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Thornton 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
Thornton 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 Thornton
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 Chickens For Sale Free Shipping in
Thornton, 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
Thornton 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 Thornton,
Kentucky Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
difficult to stand up to,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
right products, however
additionally the appropriate
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you merely need
to offer them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
habitat Plenty of food and also water Focus and
love Environment Your environment could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You likewise need
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a pet store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you should
offer them with a heat resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could take up to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be minimized by
about 5 levels or
so. The warmth source should get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
lamp, you have to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you need to add some warmth.
House cleaning
Tidiness is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to alter
the bed linen
often and also
always give clean
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which requires lots of clean
food and also water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as inspect
frequently to
stop parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to get a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Focus and love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
watch their habits, you can
catch disease or various
other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
other undesirable
signs. Make certain to
likewise check out
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted plumes as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to watch out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops to get more information
concerning cages as well as
proper cage environments.
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