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.
Share this:
Related Posts:
Tags:
Baby Chickens Bedding in
Wannaska, Minnesota
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Wannaska 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. Wannaska
Minnesota also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Wannaska 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 Wannaska MN.
Baby Chicks in
Wannaska, Minnesota
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Wannaska 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
Wannaska 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 Wannaska
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
For Sale Near Me in
Wannaska, 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
Wannaska 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 Wannaska,
Minnesota Baby chicks are quite
adorable and also
challenging to resist,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
proper products, yet
also the correct
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you simply should give them with the following: A
clean as well as warm
habitat Lots of food and also water Attention and also
love Habitat Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing just
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You additionally need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you have to
give them with a heat 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
bulb also function extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also every week this could
be decreased by
about 5 levels or
so. The heat resource must be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you should
reduce the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not merely curling up),
you need to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Tidiness is crucial as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bed linens
usually and
constantly supply tidy
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow very quick
which requires a lot of tidy
food and water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times and also inspect
usually to prevent parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to get a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Interest and also love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you and also
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their actions, you can
capture disease or other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Make certain to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to watch out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
and relocate outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages for more information
concerning coops and
correct coop environments.
Baby Chickens BreedsBaby Chickens 101 More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Elysian, Minnesota Baby Chickens for Sale in Roseau, Minnesota Baby Chickens for Sale in Stillwater, Minnesota Baby Chickens for Sale in Clearbrook, Minnesota Baby Chickens for Sale in Preston, Minnesota