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 in
Gerber, Montana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Gerber Montana,
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. Gerber
Montana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Gerber Montana, 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 Gerber MT.
Baby Chicks Coop in
Gerber, Montana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Gerber Montana
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
Gerber Montana * 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 Gerber
Montana * 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 Male in
Gerber, Montana
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
Gerber Montana 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 Gerber,
Montana Baby chicks are really
adorable as well as
hard to stand up to,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not only the
appropriate materials, however
additionally the proper
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you just should give them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and water Focus and also
love Habitat Your environment could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also need
something to serve up 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 a pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
offer them with a heat resource.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 levels,
as well as every week this could
be lowered by
roughly 5 degrees or
so. The heat source should get on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
other corner of your heat
light, you have to
reduce the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you need to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Tidiness is essential as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bedding
commonly and also
always offer tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely fast
which requires lots of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
enough at all times as well
as inspect
frequently to
stop dehydrated as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Interest and love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
watch their actions, you could
capture illness or various
other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
indicators. Make sure to
also look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted plumes and stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Empty 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 move outside into a
coop. Check out our
section on chicken coops to get more information
about coops and
appropriate coop habitats.
Baby Chickens For Sale Near MeBaby Chickens How To Care For Them More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Galata, Montana Baby Chickens for Sale in Dell, Montana Baby Chickens for Sale in Deer Lodge, Montana Baby Chickens for Sale in Froid, Montana Baby Chickens for Sale in Alder, Montana