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 Chickens in
Elsie, Nebraska
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Elsie Nebraska,
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. Elsie
Nebraska also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Elsie Nebraska, 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 Elsie NE.
Baby Chickens How To Care For Them in
Elsie, Nebraska
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Elsie Nebraska
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
Elsie Nebraska * 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 Elsie
Nebraska * 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 By Mail in
Elsie, Nebraska
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
Elsie Nebraska 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 Elsie,
Nebraska Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
tough to withstand,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
right materials, yet
additionally the correct
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you merely need
to give them with the following: A
clean as well as warm
habitat Plenty of food as well
as water Focus and
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, aquarium,
cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You likewise require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
provide them with a warmth source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can occupy to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
as well as each week this could
be reduced by
around 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource must get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not just curling up),
you should put some heat.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is key and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
usually as well as
constantly give tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which calls for a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Provide
enough at all times and examine
usually to
stop parched and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus and love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will more than likely bond with you as well as
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their habits, you could
capture health problem or various
other issues earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
additionally consider
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted plumes as well
as blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to look out
for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops to find out
more
concerning coops and also
appropriate coop habitats.
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