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 Mail in
Hayes, Louisiana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Hayes Louisiana,
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. Hayes
Louisiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Hayes Louisiana, 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 Hayes LA.
Baby Chickens Hatching in
Hayes, Louisiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Hayes Louisiana
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
Hayes Louisiana * 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 Hayes
Louisiana * 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 in
Hayes, Louisiana
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
Hayes Louisiana 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 Hayes,
Louisiana Baby chicks are extremely
cute as well as
challenging to withstand,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
proper materials, however
also the proper
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you merely have to give them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
environment Lots of food and also water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, aquarium,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You also need
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a heat resource.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature level
between 90 and 100 levels,
and also each week this can
be minimized by
around 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source need to be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your warmth
light, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you have to include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bed linens
typically and also
always give clean
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite quickly
which calls for plenty of tidy
food and water. Offer
sufficient whatsoever times and inspect
often to prevent thirsty and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
filth baths, while others won't take
up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
watch their actions, you could
capture health problem or other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Be sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted feathers and also clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to watch out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and relocate outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
part on chicken coops to learn more
regarding coops and
proper coop habitats.
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