Baby Chickens for Sale in Windham, Maine
Baby Chickens for Sale in Windham, Maine
Backyard Chickens: How we got started
Our family has had backyard chickens since the spring of 2010. It has been a great joy to have a working flock of chickens in our backyard – right in the middle of the big city. We have learned a lot, and these fun, working pets have been worth the time and energy invested.
My wife holding a baby chick.
We started with 4 chicks from a local breeder. The chicks were just a few days old and they were so much fun to watch. We set up a brooding box in the office area of our house. (Chicks have to stay warm until they ‘feather out.’) One of our chicks turned out to be a rooster so I returned that chick to the breeder and wound up with 2 hens of similar age to the others. Our first five chickens were Penny, Oreo, Clementine, Hatty and Nana. (When you have small children, chickens get named.) You can see all 5 girls in the photo at the beginning of this post.
Our chicken coop on a foggy morning.
I built the chicken coop after looking at a variety of ideas online. The type of coop I decided on is called a “chicken tractor.” It was designed to be moved around the yard so the chickens could enjoy fresh grass and dirt to scratch in. The coop is approximately 4′ wide and about 10′ long. The chickens can roam the entire length and width of the coop since the roost box is elevated. I will talk about a few things I learned about coop design, including my favorite feature, in a future post.
Owning backyard chickens has been very enjoyable for our family, but I would not say it is for everyone. Simply stated, not everyone can deal with chicken poop, brooding chickens, and a fewother things. Other than that, chickens are low-cost, entertaining and educational pets. When we had 5 hens our chickens were eating about $20 of feed a month. At their peak, the 5 hens were laying a total of 3-4 eggs a day. Approximately 25 eggs a week. The eggs are some of the best you will ever eat. The yolks are dark yellow, almost orange. You won’t save money or make money with backyard chickens, but the educational and entertainment aspects balance things out nicely.
Raising chickens hasn’t been without its sad moments. In the summer of 2011 we lost 2 of the girls to the heat. They were both Buff Oprington breed of chickens. It was a hard, hot summer. We used shade, a fan at night, and mist during the day to try to keep them cooled off. (We had a month long stretch of 100+ days here in Texas.)
Spring 2012 we purchased 2 pullets (10 week old hens) and added them to the flock after they matured a bit. In the Fall of 2012 some irresponsible pet owners down the street allowed their dogs to escape. The dogs chewed their way into the coop and killed 4 of our 5 chickens. Oreo is our strong survivor that outsmarted the 2 big dogs and survived a nasty dog bite.
Our girls now reside inside their coop which is inside a 12′x12′ dog kennel. I figure if a kennel is supposed to keep dogs in, it can also keep them out. The only draw back is that the chicken tractor must now stay in one place. As an added bonus they get to run around in the extra space of the kennel when we are home and will be in and out of the backyard. All of our chickens are friendly. We haven’t had any problems having small children and chickens.
I think the chickens are interesting and many of our friends would agree. I often get asked, “How are your chickens?” We have even taken one of the chickens to our daughter’s preschool for pet day. When we had a full flock it was also fun to give away eggs as gifts and to let our oldest daughter sell the eggs for $2 a dozen. Many, many friends have also been kind enough to give us their empty egg cartons for our eggs.
If you’re thinking about backyard chickens, take these few things into consideration:- Does your city allow chickens? Not all cities do. – Will your neighbors be OK with the clucking and occasional stink? – Are you prepared for the work of keeping a small flock?
Best of luck, and leave any questions in the comments section.
Baby Chicks Outside With Heat Lamp in Windham, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Windham 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. Windham Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Windham 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 Windham ME.Baby Chickens Diet in Windham, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Windham 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
Windham 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 Windham
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 Windham, 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 Windham 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 Windham, Maine Baby chicks are quite adorable and also difficult to resist, but it's ideal to plan for their arrival before you get them. Prepare first by gathering not just the proper products, yet likewise the appropriate expertise to look after them. Raising baby chicks is relatively straightforward, you simply have to offer them with the following: A clean as well as cozy habitat A lot of food and water Focus as well as love Habitat Your environment can be a basic box, aquarium, cat provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (without loose strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only paper or various other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow malformed. You also need something to provide food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container cover for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Additionally, as the chicks get older you can present a perch right into the habitat to obtain them educated on setting down. Heat To keep your chicks heat you should provide them with a heat resource. This can be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb additionally function extremely well (my suggestion). Chicks require this heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which can take up to 2 months). The recently hatched require a temperature in between 90 as well as 100 degrees, and also weekly this can be decreased by around 5 degrees or so. The warmth source must be on just one side of the cage to permit chicks an array of temperature levels. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are concealing in the contrary edge of your heat light, you have to lower the temperature. If they are surrounding each various other under the warmth (not simply snuggling), you should add some heat. Home cleaning Cleanliness is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Make sure to alter the bed linens frequently and always supply tidy food and water Food and also water. Chicks expand very fast which calls for a lot of clean food and also water. Offer enough at all times as well as examine frequently to avoid dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared to adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the initial two months, then change to a raiser food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for another 2 months, then to a slightly lower healthy protein feed or a level feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to get a head start on taking dust baths, while others won't take up that task until they are older. If you have the space in your chick room, present a tray of sand or dirt for them to bathe in. Interest as well as love There are a few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will most likely bond with you as well as not escape as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily as well as enjoy their habits, you could catch ailment or various other problems earlier. Keep an eye out for hissing, hopping, or various other undesirable signs. Make sure to likewise take a look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead to matted plumes and also stopped up cloaca. Lastly, it is important to look out for social problems, such as the littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are now fully feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety of your residence and also relocate outside into a coop. Check out our area on chicken coops to read more about cages and proper cage habitats.Baby Chickens Breeds Baby Chicks Habitat
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