For quite some time I have been toying with the idea of getting chickens. I love the idea of having baby chicks around to help my children learn responsibility and how nature works to provide for us. This, however, is a big decision. Sure, little chicks are cute and having fresh eggs would be divine, but don’t forget that chickens are a lot of work. While they are usually quite content pecking away on their own, they still need a lot of care. Here are several things to consider before getting chickens.
1. Does your residential area allow chickens? Many areas, like homes in the city or neighborhoods, do not allow chickens. You could be fined and forced to remove them.
2. What are you going to do with them when they are done laying eggs?
3. What climate do you live in? Cold climates mean harsh winters when your chickens will need extra care.
4. Do you have time to keep their pens clean, water fresh and food available?
5. What do I need to make them a home? You will need a place for them to lay their eggs and get out of bad weather.
6. Will your chickens be free range or have a chicken pen? How will you keep them in your yard and not your neighbors?
7. What breed of chicken should you buy?
After researching chickens in further detail I still want them to join our family. However, I am going to take my time to make sure my preparations are done right and I am ready for them to join us. Ive read that the best time to get baby chicks is mid March-May. Since it is already March and I have not yet preparing a home for them, I will hold off on my plans until next year when I have ample time to prepare for their arrival. Plus, I still have some convincing to do with my husband who is not yet on board with the idea.
If you are interested in raising chickens, check out the e-book titled The Urban Chicken. I just finished reading it to help me decide if chickens were a good addition to our home or not. The book answered all of the questions I had that I mentioned above. The book also talks about what breed of chicken are best to get for your overall goals, how to care for them and what to do when things go wrong. I think this book is a great resource for the un-experienced person thinking about whether or not to embark on the chicken raising lifestyle. (Like me!)
The e-book The Urban Chicken as mentioned above is available for purchase at the following link. This lovely book is written by Heather Harris. You can also view her blog at .
Any readers raising chickens that can share their experiences with us? I am so curious and want to know more! Please leave your thoughts on raising chickens in the comments.
<3 Dick and JaneDisclosure: I was able to read this book for free from the writer. I was not compensated for mentioning it in my post. All thoughts in this post are my own and not pursuaded by my free copy to read.
Baby Chickens As Pets in
Rangeley, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Rangeley 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. Rangeley
Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Rangeley 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 Rangeley ME.
Baby
Chicks Not Eating in
Rangeley, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Rangeley 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
Rangeley 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 Rangeley
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 Under Heat Lamp in
Rangeley, 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
Rangeley 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 Rangeley,
Maine Baby chicks are extremely
charming and also
tough to withstand,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
right products, however
additionally the appropriate
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you just have to supply them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your environment could be a basic box, aquarium,
cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks age you could present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you need to
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb likewise work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be decreased by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The warmth source need to be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you need to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply curling up),
you need to include some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to alter
the bed linen
frequently as well as
constantly give tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand very fast
which requires plenty of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as check
commonly to
stop dehydrated as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not 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 bathe in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
view their behavior, you could
capture illness or other issues earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make sure to
also consider
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted plumes and clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to look out
for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick getting badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and also relocate outside right into a
coop. Check out our
section on chicken coops to read more
about cages as well as
correct coop habitats.
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