Things No One Told You About Raising Baby Chicks On The Homestead
There are as many ways and opinions about how to raise chickens as there are chicken breeds. It is amazing at how passionate people are about their chickens and how they raise them. As the little chicks develop you can literally see them changing day to day. One day they had no wing feathers, and the next day they had visibly sprouted. Merissa over at shares raising baby chickens – a beginners guide to baby chicken care.
Raising Baby Chickens & Baby Chicken Care
Who can resist this cute little fuzzy baby chickens at the local farm supply store? They look so sweet and innocent and are just begging for you to take them home.
Even though having raising baby chickens seems easy enough (feed water = happy chickens!), it’s a little more complicated than it appears. Thankfully once you have a few tips and tricks under your belt it will be a breeze and your birds will stay happy and healthy and become the nice, producing flock you hope they will be.
I’ve raised chickens for many many years. When I was little we would have so much fun heading to the feed store and picking out our special birds that we would raise for the 4-H Achievement Days. Then we would spend weeks obsessing over our little birds and watching them as they slowly outgrew their fuzz and gain lovely feathers in all different colors. Of course, not every batch of birds turned out perfectly and there were many bumps along the way, but hopefully you will learn from our mistakes!
Let’s start in the beginning with that trip to the feed store. Most feed stores carry the basic breeds that will grow to be healthy meat and laying birds. You can check out . If you want to raise birds for laying eggs, make sure to get pullets (hens), if you don’t care as much or are raising birds for butchering, you can stick with the cheaper straight run. I’ve personally had one too many roosters chase me across the yard so I stick with all pullets. *Remember, there is always a chance that you may have some roosters, even in a pullet bunch…sexing chickens isn’t always accurate when they are so young.
Tip! Ask your feed store what day they get chickens in from their source and come pick out your birds a few days later. That way you know the birds made it through the shock of being transported and have a higher chance of being healthy.
While you are at the feed store, make sure to pick up several items. You will need a feeder, a waterer, chick starter, wood shavings, and a heat lamp set up. You will also need some kind of rubber or plastic tub if you don’t have one. A plastic tote works well for a small batch of birds, as does a rubber animal waterer. If there is someone around to help you, you can also ask them about baby chicken care, especially if you are getting a specialty breed.
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Baby
Chicks Order in
Sebago Lake, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Sebago Lake 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 Lake
Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Sebago Lake 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 Lake ME.
Baby Quail Chicks in
Sebago Lake, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Sebago Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake
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 Mail in
Sebago Lake, 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 Lake 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 Lake,
Maine Baby chicks are very
charming as well as
tough to stand up to,
but it's best to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
right products, but
also the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you merely have to give them with the following: A
clean and warm and comfortable
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Interest as well as
love Environment Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
newspaper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You additionally require
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you have to
supply them with a warmth source.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also every week this could
be reduced by
approximately 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source need to be on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your heat
lamp, you should
minimize the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you should include some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
frequently and
consistently provide clean
food and water Food and water.
Chicks grow very fast
which calls for lots of tidy
food and also water. Provide
enough in any way times and also examine
commonly to prevent parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not take
up that task until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
see their behavior, you can
capture ailment or various
other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
likewise check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could bring about matted plumes and obstructed cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
and move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages for more information
concerning cages and
correct cage habitats.
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