Baby Chickens for Sale in Sebago, Maine
Baby Chickens for Sale in Sebago, Maine
Things I Didn’t Know a Year Ago: Chicken Edition
In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
- Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
- Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
- Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
- People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
- Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
- Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
- Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
- An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
- The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
- Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
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Baby Chickens Eggs For Sale in Sebago, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Sebago 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. Sebago Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Sebago 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 Sebago ME.Baby Chicks Near Me in Sebago, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Sebago 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
Sebago 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 Sebago
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 And Heat Lamps in Sebago, 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 Sebago 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 Sebago, Maine Baby chicks are really adorable and challenging to withstand, however it's best to prepare for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially by collecting not just the correct products, yet also the appropriate understanding to look after them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably easy, you merely should supply them with the following: A tidy and cozy habitat Lots of food and also water Interest and also love Habitat Your habitat could be a simple box, aquarium, feline service provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and blankets (without loosened strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid using only paper or other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand misshapen. You also require something to serve up food and also water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar lid for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet store. Additionally, as the chicks age you could present a perch into the environment to get them educated on perching. Warmth To maintain your chicks warm you need to provide them with a heat resource. This can 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 also work extremely well (my referral). Chicks require this warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which can take up to two months). The recently hatched need a temperature between 90 as well as 100 degrees, and also each week this could be decreased by approximately 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource must be on simply one side of the cage to permit chicks a range of temperature levels. The chicks are your finest thermometer- if they are hiding in the other corner of your warmth lamp, you need to decrease the temperature level. If they are smothering each other under the heat (not just snuggling), you have to put some heat. Housekeeping Tidiness is key and it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make sure to change the bed linens usually and also always give tidy food as well as water Food as well as water. Chicks expand extremely quick which requires a lot of tidy food and also water. Offer sufficient at all times as well as examine frequently to prevent dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the initial two months, then change to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for one more 2 months, and then to a slightly lower healthy protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking filth baths, while others won't occupy that activity until they are older. If you have the space in your chick room, introduce a tray of sand or dirt for them to shower in. Focus as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly probably bond with you and not escape as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily as well as enjoy their actions, you could capture health problem or various other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or various other undesirable indicators. Make certain to likewise check out their poop, as looseness of the bowels could lead to matted plumes and also clogged cloaca. Finally, it is very important to watch out for social concerns, such as the littlest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your chicks are now fully feathery and also its time for them to leave the safety and security of your home and also move outside right into a coop. Take a look at our part on chicken coops to find out more concerning coops as well as correct coop environments.Baby Chickens Sale Baby Chickens Male Or Female
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