A couple of months ago our family decided that we were going to get some baby chicks to raise so we could get fresh organic eggs. We were so excited when we walked into the Tractor Supply Store during their “Chick days” we got 6 baby chicks and everything we needed for starting out. They were kept inside for 6 weeks and grew so big in that short amount of time.
A couple of weeks before they were transitioned outside my husband and I built their chicken coop. It was one that we bought on Ebay that looks really cute like a house for chickens. We had never raised chickens before and a few of our neighbors had told us to watch out for predators that would try to get to the chickens.
I was so naïve and would tell my husband that it’s the city near the ocean where neighbors are all over place and that I have never seen any wildlife at all out here! The only animals I have ever seen was squirrels and seagulls. We’ve lived in the country before and I felt sure that nothing would happen here and with our new cute chicken coop for our chickens they would be fine.
Everything went fine the first night and then the second morning when I went out to let them out of the housing part, one of the chicks were on the outside waiting near the coop door. I found that odd and wondered how he got out and then of course to my horror I saw blood and the other 5 were missing. Something had knocked a board up from underneath and all the chickens had fallen out to the ground. We never did find them that day anywhere and decided we were going to take the one back inside for a while. My husband fixed the board in hopes that it would do the trick in the future. Unfortunately the last chicken was killed as well. We found prints all over the coop which look like to me Racoon prints? Our poor chicken was pulled out from some slats that were up underneath.
Again I was so upset. How could this be happening? We spent so much time and energy into having chickens and to me after raising them that short while I realized that chickens have personalities and they were becoming more of a pet to me then anything. We decided to adopt some more from online because we didn’t find any babies in our area so we got some from mypetchicken.com. They arrived safely and are doing very well. I cannot believe how big they are already!
My husband has put so many locks and has altered the chicken coop that there is no way that anything is getting to my babies again!
If your planning to get baby chicks or have gotten some recently and getting ready to put them outdoors please make sure that the coops is bullet proof per say. Apparently there are some critters out there that are wicked smart and clever and get to your animals if you’re not careful.
Lesson learned here, just because we are in the city doesn’t mean that there isn’t any night-time predators lurking to get to my chickens.
Bonnie is a Business Owner and Blogger. She's a Wife, Momma to 5 kiddos and loves anything that has to do with the outdoors, especially gardening. She started her blog in 2013 to share with others her learning to Live greener experiences, Product , with 5 kiddos, DIY projects, Savings, Recipes and more. Reach her at wemake7blog@gmail.com
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Baby Chicks Online in
Valles Mines, Missouri
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Valles Mines Missouri,
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. Valles Mines
Missouri also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Valles Mines Missouri, 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 Valles Mines MO.
Baby Chickens Names in
Valles Mines, Missouri
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Valles Mines Missouri
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
Valles Mines Missouri * 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 Valles Mines
Missouri * 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 Incubator in
Valles Mines, Missouri
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
Valles Mines Missouri 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 Valles Mines,
Missouri Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
difficult to withstand,
however it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not only the
proper products, but
also the correct
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely should supply them with the following: A tidy and also warm
environment Plenty of food and water Focus and also
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, aquarium,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loose
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
supply them with a heat source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 levels,
as well as every week this can
be decreased by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource need to get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you have to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
commonly and
constantly supply tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely fast
which requires lots of tidy
food and also water. Give
enough whatsoever times as well
as check
commonly to
stop thirsty as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not take
up that activity until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Interest as well as love There are a
few advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their actions, you can
capture disease or various
other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
indicators. Be sure to
additionally take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted feathers and also clogged up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and also move outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops to read more
regarding coops as well as
correct cage habitats.
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