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 Near Me in
Minneota, Minnesota
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Minneota 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. Minneota
Minnesota also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Minneota 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 Minneota MN.
Baby Chickens Eggs in
Minneota, Minnesota
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Minneota 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
Minneota 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 Minneota
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 Chicks Gender in
Minneota, 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
Minneota 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 Minneota,
Minnesota Baby chicks are really
charming and also
hard to withstand,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
proper products, yet
also the appropriate
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you just should offer them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food and also water Focus and
love Habitat Your habitat can be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a pet store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you have to
supply them with a heat resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise function effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can use
up to two months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and also each week this could
be reduced by
about 5 levels or
so. The warmth source must 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 heat
lamp, you have to
reduce the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you have to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is key as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linen
commonly and
constantly supply clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow extremely fast
which needs plenty of clean
food and also water. Offer
sufficient in any way times and examine
typically to prevent thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task up 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.
Attention and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
watch their actions, you could
capture ailment or other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
also look at
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted feathers as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken coops to read more
regarding cages and
proper coop environments.
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