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 Under Lights in
Tobias, Nebraska
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Tobias 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. Tobias
Nebraska also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Tobias 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 Tobias NE.
Baby Chickens 101 in
Tobias, Nebraska
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Tobias 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
Tobias 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 Tobias
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
Chicks Male in
Tobias, 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
Tobias 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 Tobias,
Nebraska Baby chicks are quite
charming and
tough to withstand,
but it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper materials, but
additionally the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you merely have to provide them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
habitat Plenty of food and also water Focus and also
love Habitat Your environment can be an easy box, aquarium,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You likewise require
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you have to
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work extremely well (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to 2 months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
as well as every week this could
be lowered by
roughly 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource need to get on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply curling up),
you need to put some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to change
the bed linen
usually and also
constantly give clean
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow very fast
which calls for lots of tidy
food and water. Offer
enough whatsoever times and also examine
typically to prevent parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
then to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
filth baths, while others won't occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
enjoy their habits, you could
capture health problem or various
other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make certain to
likewise consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and relocate outside into a
coop. Look into our
section on chicken cages to find out
more
concerning coops as well as
proper cage habitats.
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