No really. I do. Like, every. stinkin’. night. Who am I kidding, I am JUST FINE with that!!
Y’all, spring is a springin’ here on the homestead!! Birds are chirping, goats are yelling, and the glorious Colorado sun is shining. I don’t care that we are only days into March, it’s Springtime!! Here’s what’s been going on on the farm since we last talked!
Don’t mind their messy faces, we ferment their feed, and they’re about as clean as new babies learning to eat!
I don’t know if there is anything as cute as the sound of baby chicks in the spring. and we have 21 chirpy chirp chirpin’ away in the spare room right now. It’s still a bit too cold for them to be moved to the barn, since they are only 11 days old. We ordered this batch of chicks from 21 of out sweet little chickies survived and are doing very well! We will have such a fun and colorful flock laying beautiful eggs in about 5-6 months. They are all so cute, but if I’m honest, I can’t tell you which chick is what breed for half of them. I can tell you what they are and what they will look like! (Thank you Pinterest) we started out with the following:
2 Golden Polish chicks, that looks like but will grow up to look like 1 Mottled Houdan chick, that looks like and will grow up to look like 3 Dark Brahma chicks, that look like and will row up to link like 1 Dominique chick that looks like and will grow up to look like 12 Araucana/Americana mix chicks that look like and will grow up to look something between or I am really excited because these gals lay blue, green or even pink eggs like 2 Golden Laced Wyandottes that look like and will grow up to look like 3 Salmon Faverolles chicks that look like and will grow up to look like 2 Blue Cochin chicks that look like and grow up to look like
I know we lost both of our Blue Cochins, 1 Dark Brahma, and 2 Salmon Favorelles. We also had ordered a large amount of another rare breed that lays bright blue eggs, however they were not able to ship. So naturally, I bought an incubator and am going to pick up our hatching eggs next week and get that party started! And then the last of our ladies will be here the end of March. We will be bringing in some Welsummers and Black Copper Marans to lay beautiful dark chocolate colored eggs! So watch for the post on hatching our own chicks!
In January, we had our little goat Olive bred, and Pepper will be going on her “special date” here in a week or so, and Willow in about 2 months. We decided to stagger our breedings so we can be sure to have fresh delicious goats milk all year round. So they will each freshen about 2 months apart. I can’t wait! We are having all 3 girls bred to the same buck, he is also a Nigerian Dwarf, and his name is Trigger (haha) Here is a picture of him and Olive. Olive is due mid June, so we will have baby goaties running around the farm all summer!
Plans are in place for building our potager, seeds are being decided on and ordered and we will be planting this spring, and hopefully our fruit trees will be able to be planted this year as well! That plus putting in new fencing out in the pasture so the goats and chickens can happily roam about the farm and hopefully not escape. We will also be planting new rich pasture thats ideal for grazing. Oh and hatching our own chicks here in a month. All that plus four kids… I’ve got loads of time! (and laundry)
Thanks for stopping by y’all!
Baby Chicks Near Me in
Sparks, Nebraska
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Sparks 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. Sparks
Nebraska also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Sparks 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 Sparks NE.
Baby Chicks And Ducks For Sale in
Sparks, Nebraska
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Sparks 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
Sparks 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 Sparks
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.
Raising Baby Chickens in
Sparks, 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
Sparks 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 Sparks,
Nebraska Baby chicks are quite
charming as well as
challenging to resist,
yet it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not only the
appropriate materials, however
likewise the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you merely have to supply them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food as well
as water Focus and also
love Environment Your environment could be a basic box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You likewise need
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you have to
supply them with a heat resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also function extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and weekly this could
be reduced by
about 5 degrees approximately. The heat source should get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not just snuggling),
you have to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is key and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bed linens
frequently and
always provide clean
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks expand really quickly
which needs plenty of clean
food and water. Offer
enough in any way times and check
often to avoid thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not take
up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Focus and also love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not flee as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
enjoy their behavior, you can
capture health problem or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Be sure to
also consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is necessary to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and also move outside right into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken coops for more information
regarding cages and also
appropriate cage environments.
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