Recently, with the prices of food rising, especially eggs, we decided that we wanted to make a concentrated effort to raise chickens. I have never had the opportunity to interact with chickens other than in grade school when we hatched baby chickens in incubators, so I knew this would have a steep learning curve. After scouring the internet for sites on the different breeds of chickens, we were pleased to discover which had fairly good descriptions and accompanying pictures.
We decided on four different breeds:
1) Brahma:
2) Delaware:
3) Barred Rock:
and one we’re not sure of. We were told she was a Rhode Island Red (), but now we’re assuming she’s an
4) Ameraucana:
We purchased them at 2 weeks old and they’re about 3 months now. One thing I was not prepared for is that each hen has her own personality and quirks, not unlike a puppy. They are curious about everything and always come up to greet us. We decided to not invest in a rooster since our neighbors are relatively close and our alarm clocks are more than adequate.
Besides eggs and meat, another great benefit to having chickens is that their waste can be composted and used as fertilizer. Since they eat practically anything, they also make great food scrap disposals too!
If any of you decide to acquire your own flock of chickens be certain to buy or build your chicken coup first. Chickens grow amazingly fast and before you know it, they will have outgrown their temporary living arrangements. We decided to build our own coup and let me tell you, they take up a great deal of time. We ended up building a 6′ x 6′ base, covered the floor with linoleum, complete with a triangular based roof of which one side “hatches” open for easy cleaning. The whole coup is on wooden stilts attached to concrete slabs which anchor it to the ground. The chicken door opens up into a large chicken run. Our design was pieced together from several other coup designs that others have posted on the internet.
Have you had experiences with chickens? If so, feel free to comment and share.
Barred Rock and a "We're Not Quite Sure" Hen
Baby Chicks Facts in
Central Lake, Michigan
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Central Lake 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. Central Lake
Michigan also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Central Lake 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 Central Lake MI.
Baby
Chicks In A Box in
Central Lake, Michigan
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Central Lake 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
Central Lake 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 Central Lake
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 101 in
Central Lake, 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
Central Lake 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 Central Lake,
Michigan Baby chicks are really
charming as well as
challenging to stand up to,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
proper materials, however
also the appropriate
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you simply should offer them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and water Attention as well as
love Environment Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and a pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you should
supply them with a warmth source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to two months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 levels,
and weekly this can
be decreased by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The heat source should get on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your warmth
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you have to include some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is crucial and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to change
the bed linen
typically as well as
always give clean
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow extremely fast
which calls for plenty of clean
food and also water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as examine
commonly to
stop dehydrated and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the space 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 spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will most
likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
see their actions, you could
capture disease or other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
signs. Be sure to
likewise consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could bring about matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to look out
for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
and also relocate outside into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken cages for more information
regarding coops and
proper cage habitats.
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