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 Outside in
Parsonsfield, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Parsonsfield 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. Parsonsfield
Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Parsonsfield 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 Parsonsfield ME.
Baby Chickens For Sale Free Shipping in
Parsonsfield, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Parsonsfield 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
Parsonsfield 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 Parsonsfield
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 Chicks Price in
Parsonsfield, 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
Parsonsfield 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 Parsonsfield,
Maine Baby chicks are very
cute and also
challenging to resist,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
right materials, however
additionally the proper
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you just need
to provide them with the following: A
clean and also warm and comfortable
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Focus and also
love Environment Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
pet cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You likewise require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you could present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a heat source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and weekly this can
be minimized by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource should get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you should include some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bedding
usually and also
constantly offer tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which needs lots of tidy
food and water. Provide
enough at all times as well
as examine
frequently to
stop dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Attention and also love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly most
likely bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
watch their behavior, you could
capture ailment or various
other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Make sure to
additionally consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted feathers and stopped up cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to watch out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and also relocate outside right into a
coop. Look into our
section on chicken coops to get more information
concerning cages and
correct cage environments.
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