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 Outside in
Dassel, Minnesota
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Dassel Minnesota,
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. Dassel
Minnesota also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Dassel Minnesota, 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 Dassel MN.
Baby
Chickens Under Heat Lamp in
Dassel, Minnesota
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Dassel Minnesota
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
Dassel Minnesota * 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 Dassel
Minnesota * 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
Near Me in
Dassel, Minnesota
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
Dassel Minnesota 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 Dassel,
Minnesota Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
hard to stand up to,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not only the
correct products, yet
also the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely should offer them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
habitat A lot of food as well
as water Focus and also
love Environment Your environment can be a basic box, aquarium,
feline service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You likewise require
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a warmth resource.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also function effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could take up to two months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also each week this could
be minimized by
about 5 levels or
so. The warmth resource ought
to be on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your heat
light, you should
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you have to add some heat.
House cleaning
Sanitation is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bedding
often and also
consistently give tidy
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand very fast
which calls for plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Give
sufficient in any way times and also inspect
often to avoid thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
filth baths, while others won't occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
enjoy their behavior, you can
capture disease or various
other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted plumes and also clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and also move outside into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken cages to learn more
regarding coops and
proper cage habitats.
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