Chickens are social birds and really need to have at least one friend, so count on starting with a minimum of two. Having multiple birds will also help them keep each other warm in the winter time. So, how many should you get? I read somewhere that two hens per family member is a good guideline. By their rule, if you have a family of 5, that would mean 10 hens. But also keep in mind that young hens can lay one egg every 1-2 days during the warm months. That means you could have 35-70 eggs in one week’s time! That’s quite a few eggs. Now you can freeze eggs, cook or bake items that use eggs and freeze those, but you still should take that into consideration when deciding how many. Personally if we were to start again, I would go with 5-8 hens. This coming from the family that currently has 18 hens … but we’re also selling quite a few eggs.
We’ve never gotten eggs for incubation, so I can’t offer any advice on how to start there.
Our chickens have always come as baby chicks. There are two ways I know of to get chickens this way – buy them local or find an online source. I’m pretty sure our local Blaine’s Farm & Fleet has chickens each spring. Selection would be limited but you should find only those breeds suited to your area.
We’ve had good luck ordering from Murray McMurray Hatchery. They have a wide array of breeds and you can find some good deals (which is how we ended up ordering 45 birds the first time!). The downside to mail-ordering birds is there is usually a minimum number you have to order so they can keep each other warm in the box during the few days they are being shipped. And yes, they do actually come via US Postal Service. The post office knows how to handle them so they get to you in time. There’s always a risk of chicks not surviving the shipping process. We lost one last year when we ordered again. Sometimes hatcheries will take that into consideration and throw in an extra bird just in case (but don’t count on it). Let them know if a bird doesn’t survive – they may give you a refund or discount if it’s within 24-48 hrs of arrival.
If you get baby chicks instead of full-grown hens, keep in mind that you will need to keep them warm … like 90-95°F warm the first few weeks of their lives. This requires a heat lamp or some other heat source, and a “brooder” area where you can make sure they are draft-free. This area could be inside your existing coop (if there aren’t hens in there already), but you’ll want to contain them in a smaller size to make sure they stay warm. As the weeks pass you can move the heat lamp up, reducing the temperature by 5-degrees per week until they’re ready to go outside.
You could also check out local sites like Craigslist as there might be some people that received full-grown chickens can no longer keep them.
There are a multitude of choices for chicken breeds out there. You can get
great egg-producers
dual-purpose breeds (if you intend to eat your birds later)
breeds that are cold-hardy
“fancy” birds with amazing plumage, aka ornamentals
rare breeds – some of which are endangered.
and have great listings of chicken breeds to help you sort it out.
For our location, we wanted to make sure our chickens would be cold-hardy. We also wanted fairly good layers, so most of our hens are either Speckled Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. We also had good luck with Buff Orpingtons. Opal is our one remaining Silver-Laced Wyandotte from the first batch.
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Baby Chicks And Ducks For Sale in
Iron Mountain, Michigan
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Iron Mountain 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. Iron Mountain
Michigan also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Iron Mountain 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 Iron Mountain MI.
Baby
Chicks In A Box in
Iron Mountain, Michigan
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Iron Mountain 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
Iron Mountain 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 Iron Mountain
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 Chicks To Buy in
Iron Mountain, 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
Iron Mountain 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 Iron Mountain,
Michigan Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
challenging to resist,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
right products, but
additionally the proper
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you just should give them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
habitat Lots of food as well
as water Interest and
love Habitat Your environment can be an easy box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks use straw over paper.
Note: Avoid utilizing just
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Additionally, as the chicks age you can present a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you should
provide them with a warmth source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also function effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can take up to two months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as weekly this could
be reduced by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat resource should be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not simply cuddling),
you have to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bed linen
typically and also
constantly supply clean
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quickly
which requires plenty of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as check
frequently to prevent parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Interest and also love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
see their actions, you can
capture health problem or other issues earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and relocate outside into a
coop. Have a look at our
area on chicken cages to read more
concerning coops and also
appropriate cage environments.
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