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!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby
Chickens Care in
Byfield, Massachusetts
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Byfield 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. Byfield
Massachusetts also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Byfield 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 Byfield MA.
Baby Chicks Online in
Byfield, Massachusetts
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Byfield 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
Byfield 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 Byfield
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 Chickens 101 in
Byfield, 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
Byfield 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 Byfield,
Massachusetts Baby chicks are quite
cute and
tough to stand up to,
yet it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
appropriate products, yet
likewise the proper
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you simply should give them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
environment Lots of food and water Focus as well as
love Environment Your environment could be an easy box, aquarium,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also need
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you have to
give them with a heat source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb likewise work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also every week this could
be lowered by
around 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource need to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you need to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not just snuggling),
you should put some heat.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bed linens
often as well as
constantly supply clean
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which needs plenty of tidy
food and water. Offer
sufficient at all times as well
as inspect
frequently to avoid dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Interest and also love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you and also
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
enjoy their actions, you can
catch health problem or other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Make certain to
likewise check out
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted plumes as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Finally, it is important to look out
for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
and also move outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages for more information
about coops and
appropriate cage environments.
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