Two weeks ago we tried out a family dog. Scott has always wanted a dog so when the local animal shelter called us and said they had a great family dog, we gave it a try. He was a great dog in every way, half golden retriever and half lab, already house trained, great on a leash, however he really wanted to eat our chickens and cats. No really, he really did want to eat them. We saved the cats from near misses twice, however we weren’t so lucky with the hens. One lovely Sunday morning we were all outside enjoying the fine weather when all of a sudden one of our chickens, Sally jumped over her highly fenced ‘free range’ area and into the backyard….right in front of the dog. He quickly grabbed her and ran, feathers flew everywhere. We were screaming, the chicken was screaming and the dog was running all over the yard with her. We finally got him away from her, but when we found her, we feared for the worst. All the feathers were pulled off her back and there were about five deep, two inch long gashes where his teeth had been.
I guess had we been real chicken farmers we would have put her down right then and there, but instead we thought we’d give her the night to see if Sally could make it. After our adrenaline had calmed down we picked her up and put Neosporin on her cuts, something a vet had advised us to do for another chicken cut a few years back. Then we put her in a small bathroom that rarely ever gets used, gave the poor girl some food and water and a box full of hay and let her have the night to heal. And she made it! We left her in there for about four nights and the sweet thing even laid a couple of eggs. Slowly we started bringing her outside, watching her carefully to keep the flies off of her (because if flies get wind of a fresh chicken cut they will lay there eggs there and the – super gross!). We eventually put her with the other chickens and made sure they didn’t peck at her and now she is fully back with her gals. We call her Sally the Miracle Chicken now. We did decide after some soul searching that right now our priority is with our first pets, the cats and hens, so the dog went back (and he’s already found a good new home!).
As consolation for our two young sons, we got some new baby chicks. Aren’t they cute? A and two to add some blue into our brown egg mix.
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Baby Chicks
Raising in
Brookton, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Brookton Maine,
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. Brookton
Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Brookton Maine, 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 Brookton ME.
Baby Chickens And
Ducks in
Brookton, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Brookton Maine
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
Brookton Maine * 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 Brookton
Maine * 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
Brookton, Maine
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
Brookton Maine 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 Brookton,
Maine Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
challenging to stand up to,
however it's best to plan for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
proper products, but
also the proper
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you merely need
to offer them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
habitat Lots of food and also water Interest and also
love Habitat Your habitat can be a straightforward box, aquarium,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also require
something to dish out 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 a
pet dog store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
supply them with a heat resource.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also function extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also weekly this could
be minimized by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The warmth source ought
to be on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
lamp, you should
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not simply curling up),
you need to add some heat.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is vital and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to alter
the bed linens
usually and also
constantly provide clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow quite quick
which requires lots of clean
food and also water. Supply
enough at all times as well
as examine
usually to avoid thirsty as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their habits, you could
capture health problem or other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Make sure to
also consider
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers and also obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to watch out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and also move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages to learn more
concerning coops and
appropriate cage habitats.
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