Baby Chickens for Sale in Bridgeport, Michigan
Baby Chickens for Sale in Bridgeport, Michigan
How to build a Chicken Coop for under $50
How to build a Chicken Coop for under $50
Why Raise Chickens?
Really, the question you should ask is “Why not raise chickens?” Raising chickens can be a really rewarding experience. These amazing animals eat a small amount of feed a day, and yet produce one egg about every day of the year. (Out of 365 days a year, they lay about 335 eggs.) They take a couple days off here and there, but for the most part they are great layers. Having complete control over the food you feed your family is also really rewarding. Knowing our chickens eat non-GMO, Organic feed, and are allowed to free-range on our acre yard somehow just makes the eggs taste better. There are many benefits to free-ranging your chickens. First of all, they don’t develop diseases because they are out in the fresh air and not living in their poop. Second, they eat a LOT more bugs and let me tell you, you WANT your chickens to eat bugs. Not only does it help keep your bug(& scorpion) population down, it also increases the amount of Omega-3’s per egg. There are just some things that nature does better! The added bonus of letting your chickens eat bugs is that they will eat less of your store-bought feed which helps bring down your overall cost.
FYI, chickens that are locked up in small spaces are SUPER mean to each other. Like cannibal mean. By cannibal, I mean they will literally eat each other. Seriously. They will gang up on the weakest and peck at it incessantly until it dies and then eat it. It’s all Mean Girls up in there, I’m telling you. So, definitely free-range, okay?
How Much does it Cost to keep Chickens
If you buy “regular” chicken feed, it will only cost you about $11.00 for a 50 lb. bag. Pretty good deal, huh? Well, not really. “Regular” feed is chock full of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) which are KNOWN for making chickens sick. Genetically modified organisms are also called Roundup Ready. GMO’s require massive amounts of pesticides, herbicides & fungicides. Yum. “Regular” feed is also usually pre-packaged with antibiotics. Wasn’t that nice of the feed company? Gosh, they are so nice to give our chickens anti-biotics after making them sick with GMOs. So thoughtful. When all’s said and done and your chickens stop going diarrhea, it will only cost you 82 cents a dozen. Organic, Non-GMO feed is about $24.00 for a 50 lb. bag but the benefits are amazing. Our feed is full of clean grains, as they should be, with no pesticides in them or on them. We also supplement their diet with dinner table scraps. It costs us about $1.75 a dozen. At the store, you can expect to pay $5.99 a dozen for ORGANIC, FREE-RANGE eggs. A Plan is Hatched (I’m freakin’ hilarious) The chicken coop I’m about to show you is one for FREE-RANGE chickens. This means your chickens should only be in the coop to eat feed, lay eggs, and roost/sleep at night. For the rest of the day they should be allowed in a yard so they can stay nice and healthy. I can’t take full credit for this idea. Okay, I can’t take ANY credit for this idea. Kevin and I were talking about how to get rid of our old crib. We couldn’t really give it away to Goodwill because it has that old school drop side that has totally been recalled now for safety issues. Then Kevin mentioned on how that sliding door would come in handy for a chicken coop. YES! Totally! I’ve been wanting to build a new chicken coop, and this thing was pretty much built for me! Well, I took Kevin’s idea and ran with it. I first drew a picture of how I wanted it to look. Yes, I’m a very visual person. (Lydia said it was the best drawing of a crib she’s EVER seen, so that means it’s pretty dang good.) The crib. Ah, crib you’ve served us well. You’ve kept our sweet little babes safe and sound as they have sweetly slumbered. Well, except for that one time when the drop side malfunctioned and Ethan tumbled out when he was 8 mo. old. But let’s forget about that one issue. You have been a great crib and we’re thankful for all your service. Aaannd now you will be a pooping ground for our chickens, mmkay? Ta-da! Here’s the coop all finished! It was SUPER easy. We lined two sides with chicken wire, two sides with wains coating, slapped a roof on that mutha’ and called it a day. Okay, okay. It took a little longer than that. I had to paint it, which actually takes way more spray paint than you’d think. I was actually embarrassed at how many times I kept underestimating the amount of spray paint I needed. It was becoming a problem, how bad I was at estimating my spray paint needs. I kept going back to the store and I totally felt like the checkout lady was thinking, “Really? MORE spray paint?” And I, feeling stupid for being the worst spray paint estimator ever, imagined yelling, “Yes, it’s for my chickens, OKAY?!!” The drop side comes down just enough to gather eggs and fill the feeder. I totally cut these pieces myself. I also cut the table I was using but we won’t dwell on that. Sorry Kevin! You’re still “not mad”, right??? A chicken coops not a chicken coop ’till you put an actual picture of a chicken on it, right? I thought so. It has a simple roof made of wains coating and trim. Underneath is a simple frame of 1x2s. Did I mention it was simple? Super cute, right? And cheap, which makes the Mr. Husband happy.
P.S. My friend Claire from wrote an excellent guide on (and raising chickens in the winter in general). I highly recommend it!
Do you own chickens? Have you ever thought of raising chickens? You should! And you should totally use your old crib because, well, it’s super cheap and super cool.
Baby Chicks Order Online in Bridgeport, Michigan
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Bridgeport Michigan, 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. Bridgeport Michigan also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Bridgeport Michigan, 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 Bridgeport MI.Baby Chicks On Sale in Bridgeport, Michigan
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Bridgeport Michigan 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
Bridgeport Michigan * 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 Bridgeport
Michigan * 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 Raising in Bridgeport, Michigan
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 Bridgeport Michigan 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 Bridgeport, Michigan Baby chicks are very cute and difficult to resist, but it's best to plan for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially by compiling not just the proper materials, but also the proper expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly straightforward, you just have to provide them with the following: A clean as well as cozy environment Plenty of food and water Focus and also love Environment Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank, pet cat carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and also coverings (with no loosened strings!) to start, and after a few weeks use straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid making use of just newspaper or various other slipper surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You additionally need something to provide food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water dish from the feed store, or a pickle container lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch into the habitat to get them trained on setting down. Warmth To maintain your chicks warm you have to give them with a warmth resource. This can be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth light bulb also function very well (my referral). Chicks require this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is changed with plumes (which can take up to 2 months). The freshly hatched need a temperature level in between 90 as well as 100 degrees, and every week this could be lowered by roughly 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource need to be on simply one side of the cage to enable chicks a variety of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermometer- if they are hiding in the contrary edge of your warmth light, you have to minimize the temperature level. If they are surrounding each various other under the warmth (not simply cuddling), you have to include some warmth. Housekeeping Tidiness is key as well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform the bed linens typically and also constantly provide tidy food and also water Food as well as water. Chicks grow really quick which calls for lots of clean food and also water. Offer sufficient in any way times and inspect usually to stop dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared to grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the very first 2 months, then switch to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for an additional 2 months, and after that to a slightly reduced protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want to obtain a head start on taking dust baths, while others won't use up that task up until they are older. If you have the room in your chick enclosure, present a tray of sand or dirt for them to shower in. Interest and also love There are a few advantages to hanging out with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as not flee as adults. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and watch their behavior, you can catch ailment or various other problems earlier. Keep an eye out for wheezing, limping, or various other unhealthy indicators. Be sure to additionally check out their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers as well as obstructed cloaca. Lastly, it is very important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are currently fully feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety of your house and move outside right into a coop. Take a look at our section on chicken cages to read more concerning cages and also proper cage environments.Baby Chicks Outside With Heat Lamp Baby Chicks Outside
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