Baby Chickens for Sale in Wendover, Kentucky
Baby Chickens for Sale in Wendover, Kentucky
Things I Didn’t Know a Year Ago: Chicken Edition
In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
- Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
- Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
- Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
- People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
- Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
- Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
- Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
- An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
- The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
- Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby Chicks And Ducks in Wendover, Kentucky
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Wendover 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. Wendover Kentucky also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Wendover 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 Wendover KY.Baby Chickens Raising in Wendover, Kentucky
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Wendover 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
Wendover 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 Wendover
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 Coop in Wendover, 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 Wendover 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 Wendover, Kentucky Baby chicks are quite cute as well as difficult to stand up to, however it's finest to prepare for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first by compiling not just the proper materials, yet additionally the appropriate expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly easy, you merely should provide them with the following: A clean as well as warm and comfortable habitat Lots of food and also water Attention and love Environment Your environment can be a straightforward box, aquarium, feline provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as coverings (without loose strings!) to begin, and after a couple of weeks utilize straw over paper. Note: Avoid making use of just paper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow malformed. You also need something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Also, as the chicks get older you can present a perch right into the habitat to get them educated on setting down. Warmth To maintain your chicks heat you have to offer them with a warmth source. This can be as basic as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat bulb additionally function very well (my suggestion). Chicks need this warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which could take up to two months). The recently hatched need a temperature level between 90 and also 100 degrees, and also each week this could be reduced by about 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource need to get on merely one side of the cage to permit chicks a range of temperature levels. The chicks are your finest thermometer- if they are hiding in the other corner of your warmth light, you should minimize the temperature. If they are surrounding each various other under the warmth (not simply snuggling), you have to include some heat. House cleaning Sanitation is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to alter the bed linen commonly and consistently supply tidy food and also water Food and water. Chicks grow quite fast which needs a lot of tidy food and water. Provide sufficient in any way times and also check typically to avoid dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the first two months, after that switch to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, then to a somewhat lower protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking filth baths, while others won't use up that activity up until they are older. If you have the room in your chick enclosure, present a tray of sand or dust for them to wash in. Interest as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will more than likely bond with you as well as not escape as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily as well as see their actions, you could catch illness or various other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or other harmful indicators. Make sure to additionally check out their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers and stopped up cloaca. Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the tiniest chick getting picked on. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are currently completely feathered and its time for them to leave the safety of your house and move outside right into a coop. Have a look at our section on chicken coops to learn more regarding cages and correct coop habitats.Baby Chicks For Easter Baby Chicks Information
More Posts
Baby Chickens for Sale in London, Kentucky
Baby Chickens for Sale in Millstone, Kentucky
Baby Chickens for Sale in Pathfork, Kentucky
Baby Chickens for Sale in River, Kentucky
Baby Chickens for Sale in Greensburg, Kentucky