Two weeks ago we tried out a family dog. Scott has always wanted a dog so when the local animal shelter called us and said they had a great family dog, we gave it a try. He was a great dog in every way, half golden retriever and half lab, already house trained, great on a leash, however he really wanted to eat our chickens and cats. No really, he really did want to eat them. We saved the cats from near misses twice, however we weren’t so lucky with the hens. One lovely Sunday morning we were all outside enjoying the fine weather when all of a sudden one of our chickens, Sally jumped over her highly fenced ‘free range’ area and into the backyard….right in front of the dog. He quickly grabbed her and ran, feathers flew everywhere. We were screaming, the chicken was screaming and the dog was running all over the yard with her. We finally got him away from her, but when we found her, we feared for the worst. All the feathers were pulled off her back and there were about five deep, two inch long gashes where his teeth had been.
I guess had we been real chicken farmers we would have put her down right then and there, but instead we thought we’d give her the night to see if Sally could make it. After our adrenaline had calmed down we picked her up and put Neosporin on her cuts, something a vet had advised us to do for another chicken cut a few years back. Then we put her in a small bathroom that rarely ever gets used, gave the poor girl some food and water and a box full of hay and let her have the night to heal. And she made it! We left her in there for about four nights and the sweet thing even laid a couple of eggs. Slowly we started bringing her outside, watching her carefully to keep the flies off of her (because if flies get wind of a fresh chicken cut they will lay there eggs there and the – super gross!). We eventually put her with the other chickens and made sure they didn’t peck at her and now she is fully back with her gals. We call her Sally the Miracle Chicken now. We did decide after some soul searching that right now our priority is with our first pets, the cats and hens, so the dog went back (and he’s already found a good new home!).
As consolation for our two young sons, we got some new baby chicks. Aren’t they cute? A and two to add some blue into our brown egg mix.
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Baby Chicks Supplies in
Shirley, Massachusetts
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Shirley 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. Shirley
Massachusetts also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Shirley 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 Shirley MA.
Baby Chicks Names in
Shirley, Massachusetts
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Shirley 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
Shirley 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 Shirley
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 Habitat in
Shirley, 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
Shirley 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 Shirley,
Massachusetts Baby chicks are extremely
adorable and also
difficult to resist,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
appropriate products, yet
also the correct
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
straightforward, you just have to give them with the following: A
clean and also cozy
habitat Plenty of food as well
as water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your habitat can be an easy box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You additionally need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you should
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise work effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can take up to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 levels,
and each week this could
be minimized by
approximately 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource need to be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you should
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you have to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is crucial and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter
the bed linen
typically and
always provide tidy
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow extremely fast
which needs plenty of clean
food as well as water. Provide
enough whatsoever times as well
as examine
often to avoid dehydrated and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not take
up that activity until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Focus as well as love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
view their actions, you could
capture ailment or other issues earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Make sure to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers and obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to watch out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also relocate outside right into a cage. Look into our
part on chicken coops to learn more
concerning coops and
proper coop environments.
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