Baby Chickens for Sale in Topsham, Maine
Baby Chickens for Sale in Topsham, Maine
5 ways to feed chickens on a budget
Hello, friends! I’m Kelli, and I am here from to share some tips about feeding your backyard chickens on a budget.
My husband, John, and I have had a small flock of chickens for almost a year. Our city had an ordinance prohibiting backyard chickens for many years, until we successfully led the charge to change that ordinance. The city council voted to allow yard birds…after 4 months of research and meetings. It was a long process, but totally worth it.
Because we get eggs. Duh.
Now, one thing John and I quickly learned was just because you have chickens in your backyard, doesn’t mean the eggs are free. Heck, it doesn’t even mean the eggs are cheaper than the grocery store. This bit of information is clear: Organic, free-range, homegrown chickens and their eggs will never be cheaper than the grocery store (for us anyway).
We purchase organic layer feed from our local farm store, using egg money.
This feed and clean water is available 24/7 in a wall feeder in the coop. We are lucky that our local farm store carries an organic variety of chicken layer feed, as well as organic chick starter and meat bird feed. The feed runs us about $20 a for a 40-pound bag and lasts about 3 months for 4 birds. When we first got our birds, I mixed grit and calcium into their feed. Now I realize there are ways to supplement in those areas, too. Read on.
The ladies get table scraps.
We have on our kitchen counter that sits right between the sink and the backdoor. Nearly all food scraps go into this compost bin and are emptied once a day in the chicken run. You would be amazed at how much these girls can put down, and how awesome it is that . There are some things chickens shouldn’t eat (), and those things go to our backyard compost bin.
Free range those birds as much as possible!
Don’t buy grit.
If you are free ranging your birds for a good amount of time in the yard, they will easily pick up pebbles and grit as they forage. There’s no need to spend a few bucks on grit to mix in with their food. We didn’t know this at first, and mixed grit into their feed each day.
Feed them their egg shells and save on calcium.
Chickens can eat egg shells! In fact, it gives them an extra calcium boost and makes their shells stronger. Calcium, also called oyster shell, is kind of expensive and must be mixed in with the feed. At our house, all egg shells get crushed and put into our kitchen compost bin for the girls. It’s fun to watch them fight over the egg shells when we dump the bucket. And no, we don’t have any egg eaters as a result.
Talk to your local feed company about damaged packaging.
If you know someone who works at a feed company and you aren’t too concerned about feeding a 100% organic diet, you might consider contacting the feed company about their damaged bags of bird seed and feed. This stuff is perfect for a scratch treat! On occasion, our local feed company will have ripped or torn bags of general or all-purpose bird seed or feed that they must throw away. Instead, John and I score a 50-pound bag every year or so to feed to our chickens as scratch. Sometimes we have to purchase the seed at a very deep discount, other times it’s free.
Get cracked corn from a local farmer for scratch.
We know several farmers who we feel comfortable visiting each fall around harvest time for a few 5 gallon buckets of cracked corn. Under the augers, bins, and grain dryers at a farm you’ll find little piles of cracked corn that is crushed as it passes from one spot to the next. This cracked corn usually goes to the farmer’s animals or to birds and other wildlife. Farmers in our area are more than willing to let us take this cracked corn for free for our chickens. We mix it with their feed (if we need to stretch it a bit further) or simply scatter it in the lawn for them to scratch at. How do you feed your backyard chickens on a budget?
Baby Chicks Breeds in Topsham, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Topsham 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. Topsham Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Topsham 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 Topsham ME.Baby Chickens In The Mail in Topsham, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Topsham 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
Topsham 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 Topsham
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 Buy in Topsham, 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 Topsham 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 Topsham, Maine Baby chicks are really adorable and challenging to resist, however it's best to prepare for their arrival before you get them. Prepare initially by collecting not only the correct materials, yet additionally the proper knowledge to look after them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably simple, you merely have to supply them with the following: A clean and also cozy environment Lots of food and water Focus as well as love Environment Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank, pet cat provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as coverings (with no loose strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just paper or other slipper surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow misshapen. You also require something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a pet dog store. Also, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch into the habitat to get them educated on setting down. Warmth To maintain your chicks heat you should supply them with a heat resource. This can be as basic as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb also function very well (my referral). Chicks need this warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which could occupy to two months). The freshly hatched out need a temperature level between 90 and 100 levels, as well as every week this can be decreased by around 5 degrees or so. The warmth source should get on simply one side of the cage to enable chicks a range of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermometer- if they are hiding in the other corner of your heat light, you need to decrease the temperature. If they are smothering each other under the heat (not just curling up), you need to include some heat. Home cleaning Tidiness is key and it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Be sure to alter the bed linens often as well as constantly give tidy food and also water Food and water. Chicks expand really quickly which needs lots of clean food and also water. Offer enough in any way times and also inspect usually to prevent parched and hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared to adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the initial 2 months, then change to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, and afterwards to a somewhat lower healthy protein feed or a level feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking filth bathrooms, while others won't take up that activity up until they are older. If you have the space in your chick room, introduce a tray of sand or filth for them to shower in. Focus as well as love There are a few benefits to hanging out with your chicks. To start with, they will certainly most likely bond with you and not run away as adults. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and also enjoy their habits, you can catch disease or other issues earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or various other unhealthy indications. Make sure to also take a look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted feathers as well as clogged up cloaca. Last but not least, it is essential to look out for social problems, such as the littlest chick getting picked on. Vacant nest disorder So your chicks are currently totally feathery and also its time for them to leave the safety of your house and also relocate outside into a coop. Check out our area on chicken coops to get more information regarding cages and appropriate cage environments.Baby Chickens Male Or Female Baby Chickens And Baby Ducks
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