Things No One Told You About Raising Baby Chicks On The Homestead
There are as many ways and opinions about how to raise chickens as there are chicken breeds. It is amazing at how passionate people are about their chickens and how they raise them. As the little chicks develop you can literally see them changing day to day. One day they had no wing feathers, and the next day they had visibly sprouted. Merissa over at shares raising baby chickens – a beginners guide to baby chicken care.
Raising Baby Chickens & Baby Chicken Care
Who can resist this cute little fuzzy baby chickens at the local farm supply store? They look so sweet and innocent and are just begging for you to take them home.
Even though having raising baby chickens seems easy enough (feed water = happy chickens!), it’s a little more complicated than it appears. Thankfully once you have a few tips and tricks under your belt it will be a breeze and your birds will stay happy and healthy and become the nice, producing flock you hope they will be.
I’ve raised chickens for many many years. When I was little we would have so much fun heading to the feed store and picking out our special birds that we would raise for the 4-H Achievement Days. Then we would spend weeks obsessing over our little birds and watching them as they slowly outgrew their fuzz and gain lovely feathers in all different colors. Of course, not every batch of birds turned out perfectly and there were many bumps along the way, but hopefully you will learn from our mistakes!
Let’s start in the beginning with that trip to the feed store. Most feed stores carry the basic breeds that will grow to be healthy meat and laying birds. You can check out . If you want to raise birds for laying eggs, make sure to get pullets (hens), if you don’t care as much or are raising birds for butchering, you can stick with the cheaper straight run. I’ve personally had one too many roosters chase me across the yard so I stick with all pullets. *Remember, there is always a chance that you may have some roosters, even in a pullet bunch…sexing chickens isn’t always accurate when they are so young.
Tip! Ask your feed store what day they get chickens in from their source and come pick out your birds a few days later. That way you know the birds made it through the shock of being transported and have a higher chance of being healthy.
While you are at the feed store, make sure to pick up several items. You will need a feeder, a waterer, chick starter, wood shavings, and a heat lamp set up. You will also need some kind of rubber or plastic tub if you don’t have one. A plastic tote works well for a small batch of birds, as does a rubber animal waterer. If there is someone around to help you, you can also ask them about baby chicken care, especially if you are getting a specialty breed.
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Baby Chicks Care in
Richton, Mississippi
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Richton Mississippi,
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. Richton
Mississippi also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Richton Mississippi, 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 Richton MS.
Baby
Chicks Order in
Richton, Mississippi
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Richton Mississippi
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
Richton Mississippi * 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 Richton
Mississippi * 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 Online in
Richton, Mississippi
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
Richton Mississippi 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 Richton,
Mississippi Baby chicks are really
cute as well as
hard to resist,
however it's best to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
proper products, but
also the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you merely have to provide them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
habitat A lot of food and also water Interest and
love Environment Your environment can be a basic box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using only
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You additionally require
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Also, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you have to
provide them with a warmth resource.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can occupy to two months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and also weekly this could
be minimized by
around 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource should get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you have to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you need to put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is vital and it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter
the bed linens
usually and
consistently provide tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand quite quickly
which requires plenty of clean
food as well as water. Provide
enough at all times as well
as inspect
frequently to
stop dehydrated as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
dust baths, while others won't take
up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will most
likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
enjoy their habits, you can
capture ailment or other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Make certain to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted plumes as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to look out
for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your house
as well as move outside into a cage. Check out our
part on chicken coops to find out
more
regarding cages as well as
proper cage habitats.
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