A couple of months ago our family decided that we were going to get some baby chicks to raise so we could get fresh organic eggs. We were so excited when we walked into the Tractor Supply Store during their “Chick days” we got 6 baby chicks and everything we needed for starting out. They were kept inside for 6 weeks and grew so big in that short amount of time.
A couple of weeks before they were transitioned outside my husband and I built their chicken coop. It was one that we bought on Ebay that looks really cute like a house for chickens. We had never raised chickens before and a few of our neighbors had told us to watch out for predators that would try to get to the chickens.
I was so naïve and would tell my husband that it’s the city near the ocean where neighbors are all over place and that I have never seen any wildlife at all out here! The only animals I have ever seen was squirrels and seagulls. We’ve lived in the country before and I felt sure that nothing would happen here and with our new cute chicken coop for our chickens they would be fine.
Everything went fine the first night and then the second morning when I went out to let them out of the housing part, one of the chicks were on the outside waiting near the coop door. I found that odd and wondered how he got out and then of course to my horror I saw blood and the other 5 were missing. Something had knocked a board up from underneath and all the chickens had fallen out to the ground. We never did find them that day anywhere and decided we were going to take the one back inside for a while. My husband fixed the board in hopes that it would do the trick in the future. Unfortunately the last chicken was killed as well. We found prints all over the coop which look like to me Racoon prints? Our poor chicken was pulled out from some slats that were up underneath.
Again I was so upset. How could this be happening? We spent so much time and energy into having chickens and to me after raising them that short while I realized that chickens have personalities and they were becoming more of a pet to me then anything. We decided to adopt some more from online because we didn’t find any babies in our area so we got some from mypetchicken.com. They arrived safely and are doing very well. I cannot believe how big they are already!
My husband has put so many locks and has altered the chicken coop that there is no way that anything is getting to my babies again!
If your planning to get baby chicks or have gotten some recently and getting ready to put them outdoors please make sure that the coops is bullet proof per say. Apparently there are some critters out there that are wicked smart and clever and get to your animals if you’re not careful.
Lesson learned here, just because we are in the city doesn’t mean that there isn’t any night-time predators lurking to get to my chickens.
Bonnie is a Business Owner and Blogger. She's a Wife, Momma to 5 kiddos and loves anything that has to do with the outdoors, especially gardening. She started her blog in 2013 to share with others her learning to Live greener experiences, Product , with 5 kiddos, DIY projects, Savings, Recipes and more. Reach her at wemake7blog@gmail.com
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Baby Chicks Habitat in
Byron, Michigan
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Byron 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. Byron
Michigan also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Byron 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 Byron MI.
Baby Chickens Male Or Female in
Byron, Michigan
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Byron 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
Byron 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 Byron
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 For Sale Free Shipping in
Byron, 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
Byron 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 Byron,
Michigan Baby chicks are really
charming and
tough to resist,
yet it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper materials, but
additionally the appropriate
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you just have to give them with the following: A
clean as well as warm
environment Plenty of food and also water Focus as well as
love Environment Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing just
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You also need
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
give them with a heat source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally function effectively (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and each week this can
be minimized by
approximately 5 degrees or
so. The heat source need to get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other edge of your heat
light, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you need to include some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is key and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bedding
often and
always give clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow extremely quick
which calls for a lot of clean
food as well as water. Provide
sufficient in any way times and also examine
often to prevent thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Interest and also love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will probably bond with you and
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
view their actions, you could
catch ailment or other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other unhealthy
signs. Make certain to
also consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted feathers and also stopped up cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to look out
for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and also move outside right into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops as well as
correct coop environments.
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