On her blog Lauren informs us about what Organic means when it comes to purchasing your chicken. Many people think chicken is chicken, but there is much to know about the Organic. Here is what Lauren teaches us:
Organic means that the bird you are purchasing has been fed an organic diet, which denies the use of antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering, radiation, synthetic pesticides or fertilizers in the feed. Buying organic only relates to the bird’s diet – it has nothing to do with their environment or handling. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted, and there is no third party auditing.
Natural: This means absolutely nothing. It does not make any promises, guarantees, or claims about the animal, its quality, how it was raised, etc.
Cage Free: This means that the bird is uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but likely has no access to the outdoors. Cage Free birds are still usually packed like sardines in their enclosures, so this is still a far cry from humane living conditions. Beak cutting is permitted.
Free Range: Free Range poultry are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access, but there are no requirements for the amount, duration, or quality of outdoor access. Outdoor access could mean a concrete enclosure – it does not imply grass or a pasture. Beak cutting and forced molting through starvation are permitted, and there is no third party auditing.
Vegetarian Fed: This just means that the feed given to the poultry is free of animal flesh. Chickens are naturally not vegetarian, so this does not really mean much in the way of quality.
So what to buy? Basically it’s fairly difficult to buy a bird that you can guarantee was raised in optimal conditions. At minimum, buy organic free-range. If you have access to a farmer’s market, that is likely where you will find the best quality poultry and meats. Birds raised on small family farms are going to be the most humanely raised and likely the best tasting of the bunch.
Aside from the ethical standpoint of buying high-quality, small-farm raised proteins, there are also huge health and environmental benefits to shopping humanely. Taking a few moments out of your day to do a little research on where your food comes from will reap enormous benefits!
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Baby Chicks For Easter in
Auburn, Massachusetts
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Auburn Massachusetts,
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. Auburn
Massachusetts also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Auburn Massachusetts, 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 Auburn MA.
Baby Chickens 101 in
Auburn, Massachusetts
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Auburn Massachusetts
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
Auburn Massachusetts * 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 Auburn
Massachusetts * 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 Incubator in
Auburn, Massachusetts
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
Auburn Massachusetts 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 Auburn,
Massachusetts Baby chicks are very
charming as well as
tough to stand up to,
yet it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
appropriate products, yet
likewise the correct
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you merely have to supply them with the following: A tidy and also warm
habitat A lot of food as well
as water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your environment can be an easy box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You also need
something to provide 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 and a pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
supply them with a heat source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise function extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also every week this could
be reduced by
around 5 levels approximately. The warmth source should get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your heat
light, you should
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you should add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bedding
typically and
consistently supply clean
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand really fast
which needs plenty of clean
food and also water. Provide
enough in any way times and also examine
often to
stop thirsty and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly most
likely bond with you as well as
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
view their actions, you could
catch illness or other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
indications. Make sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted plumes as well
as blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and also move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken coops for more information
concerning coops and also
appropriate cage environments.
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