Baby Chickens for Sale in Hampden, Massachusetts
Baby Chickens for Sale in Hampden, Massachusetts
Brooder Box for baby Chicks: A Tutorial
- 09/26/2012
Our little darling chicks have arrived! We ordered from mypetchicken.com and found the selection and service to be excellent. The chicks shipped super fast and were all healthy and well when they arrived (oh and so soft and cute!). Our little gal chicks will live in their brooder box for about 4-6 weeks, then transition to their chicken coop outdoors, where they will have free range of our backyard once they are full grown.
Investing in chicks can start to get expensive if you don’t DIY. I considered just using a large cardboard box to keep them in for those first 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I read about chick care said that a large cardboard box would soon be too small for the growing chicks (and potentially too short as well for when they try flying). Mypetchicken.com sells a for $72 shipping; however to save some cash, I decided to copy the idea using left over moving boxes I had laying around.
You will need:
2 Large cardboard boxes of the same size
cutting tool
strong tape (duct tape works)
It’s so simple: cut a side open on the two boxes, open them up and then tape the edges together, folding the bottoms in together so they sort of weave and interlock. You can choose to tape those inside flaps together for added stability.
Added bonus for this design: when the chicks get bigger and can start jumping and trying to fly, you can fold up the top flaps of the boxes and tape them together to add 5 plus inches to the height of your box – cool! You can also grab a couple long sticks or dowels and punch holes in the sides of the cardboard to set up roosting perches for the chicks about 1-2 inches off the ground.
To make removing and cleaning the pine bedding easier, I picked up a painters drop cloth at the hardware store for $8, size 5×5, and laid it inside the pen before putting down the bedding. This will allow me to wrap up the entire bedding/poop mess inside the drop cloth and carry it out to the compost pile.
Other items needed for our 6 little birds were purchased at a local feed store:
- $5.50 – buy the large one so you don’t have to buy it later when the birds get bigger and try to knock over a smaller sized one you may have bought at first. Saves you money and time!
- $4
- 3 cubic feet of compressed $8
- 25 lbs $12
- From Amazon I purchased a for $11.20
- and from Amazon also I purchased a $12
My home-made “package” cost $55.70, compared to the starter kit from mypetchicken.com priced at $72 plus shipping. As an added bonus, I purchased 5 times as much food, got a larger watering device and a metal feeder instead of plastic. I also was able to get 20 times as much pine bedding and a much sturdier heatlamp. I’d say that’s a win! Plus, I do think my recycled cardboard chick house ended up being larger than the size of the packaged one.
And man, are they cute! My son loves going in there during the day with me to check on them.
For more information on raising baby chicks, I recommend
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Baby Chicks In A Box in Hampden, Massachusetts
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Hampden 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. Hampden Massachusetts also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Hampden 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 Hampden MA.Baby Chicks Facts in Hampden, Massachusetts
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Hampden 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
Hampden 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 Hampden
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 For Sale Near Me in Hampden, 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 Hampden 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 Hampden, Massachusetts Baby chicks are quite charming and difficult to stand up to, but it's best to plan for their arrival before you get them. Prepare initially by gathering not only the appropriate products, but likewise the correct knowledge to look after them. Raising baby chicks is fairly simple, you simply should give them with the following: A clean and also warm and comfortable environment Plenty of food and also water Focus and also love Environment Your habitat could be a straightforward box, aquarium, cat provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and blankets (without loosened strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid using just newspaper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand misshapen. You additionally need something to provide food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet dog store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch right into the environment to get them educated on perching. Heat To maintain your chicks warm you have to give them with a heat source. This could be as simple as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat bulb additionally work effectively (my suggestion). Chicks need this heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is changed with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The freshly hatched need a temperature in between 90 and also 100 degrees, and also every week this can be decreased by approximately 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource ought to get on merely one side of the cage to permit chicks a range of temperatures. The chicks are your best thermometer- if they are hiding in the contrary corner of your warmth lamp, you should reduce the temperature. If they are smothering each other under the heat (not simply cuddling), you should put some warmth. Housekeeping Tidiness is key and it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to change the bedding commonly as well as always give clean food as well as water Food and water. Chicks grow extremely fast which requires lots of clean food and also water. Offer enough in any way times and also examine frequently to prevent parched and also hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the very first two months, then switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for one more 2 months, and then to a somewhat reduced protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want to obtain a running start on taking filth baths, while others won't take up that task up until they are older. If you have the area 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 advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as not run away as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and also enjoy their actions, you could capture ailment or various other issues previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or various other undesirable indications. Make sure to likewise consider their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted plumes and blocked cloaca. Last but not least, it is essential to watch out for social concerns, such as the smallest chick getting badgered. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are now completely feathered as well as its time for them to leave the safety of your home and move outside into a cage. Look into our area on chicken cages to learn more regarding coops as well as correct coop environments.Baby Chicks Types Baby Chickens For Sale Online
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