A couple of months ago our family decided that we were going to get some baby chicks to raise so we could get fresh organic eggs. We were so excited when we walked into the Tractor Supply Store during their “Chick days” we got 6 baby chicks and everything we needed for starting out. They were kept inside for 6 weeks and grew so big in that short amount of time.
A couple of weeks before they were transitioned outside my husband and I built their chicken coop. It was one that we bought on Ebay that looks really cute like a house for chickens. We had never raised chickens before and a few of our neighbors had told us to watch out for predators that would try to get to the chickens.
I was so naïve and would tell my husband that it’s the city near the ocean where neighbors are all over place and that I have never seen any wildlife at all out here! The only animals I have ever seen was squirrels and seagulls. We’ve lived in the country before and I felt sure that nothing would happen here and with our new cute chicken coop for our chickens they would be fine.
Everything went fine the first night and then the second morning when I went out to let them out of the housing part, one of the chicks were on the outside waiting near the coop door. I found that odd and wondered how he got out and then of course to my horror I saw blood and the other 5 were missing. Something had knocked a board up from underneath and all the chickens had fallen out to the ground. We never did find them that day anywhere and decided we were going to take the one back inside for a while. My husband fixed the board in hopes that it would do the trick in the future. Unfortunately the last chicken was killed as well. We found prints all over the coop which look like to me Racoon prints? Our poor chicken was pulled out from some slats that were up underneath.
Again I was so upset. How could this be happening? We spent so much time and energy into having chickens and to me after raising them that short while I realized that chickens have personalities and they were becoming more of a pet to me then anything. We decided to adopt some more from online because we didn’t find any babies in our area so we got some from mypetchicken.com. They arrived safely and are doing very well. I cannot believe how big they are already!
My husband has put so many locks and has altered the chicken coop that there is no way that anything is getting to my babies again!
If your planning to get baby chicks or have gotten some recently and getting ready to put them outdoors please make sure that the coops is bullet proof per say. Apparently there are some critters out there that are wicked smart and clever and get to your animals if you’re not careful.
Lesson learned here, just because we are in the city doesn’t mean that there isn’t any night-time predators lurking to get to my chickens.
Bonnie is a Business Owner and Blogger. She's a Wife, Momma to 5 kiddos and loves anything that has to do with the outdoors, especially gardening. She started her blog in 2013 to share with others her learning to Live greener experiences, Product , with 5 kiddos, DIY projects, Savings, Recipes and more. Reach her at wemake7blog@gmail.com
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Baby
Chickens Eggs For Sale in
Washington, Louisiana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Washington 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. Washington
Louisiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Washington 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 Washington LA.
Baby Chickens Breeds in
Washington, Louisiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Washington 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
Washington 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 Washington
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 Under Heat Lamp in
Washington, 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
Washington 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 Washington,
Louisiana Baby chicks are really
adorable and also
challenging to resist,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
correct products, but
likewise the proper
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you just should provide them with the following: A
clean and also warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food as well
as water Focus as well as
love Environment Your habitat could be an easy box, fish tank,
pet cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
newspaper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You likewise need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks age you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a heat resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also work extremely well (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to 2 months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
between 90 and also 100 levels,
as well as weekly this can
be reduced by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The heat source need to get on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you need to
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you should include some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is key and it maintains your chicks healthy. Be sure to change
the bed linens
commonly and
constantly provide tidy
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow extremely quick
which calls for plenty of clean
food and water. Provide
sufficient at all times and also inspect
often to
stop parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't use up that task till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Interest and also love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you as well as
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their habits, you could
catch illness or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make certain to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted plumes and blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your house
as well as relocate outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
section on chicken coops to get more information
regarding cages as well as
appropriate coop habitats.
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