In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby Chicks And Ducks For Sale in
Las Vegas, Nevada
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Las Vegas Nevada,
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. Las Vegas
Nevada also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Las Vegas Nevada, 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 Las Vegas NV.
Baby Chicks in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Las Vegas Nevada
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
Las Vegas Nevada * 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 Las Vegas
Nevada * 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
Near Me in
Las Vegas, Nevada
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
Las Vegas Nevada 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 Las Vegas,
Nevada Baby chicks are extremely
cute as well as
difficult to stand up to,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
proper products, but
additionally the appropriate
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely should give them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable
environment A lot of food as well
as water Focus and also
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using only
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You also require
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a heat source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to two months). The newly
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
as well as each week this could
be reduced by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource ought
to get on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your heat
lamp, you have to
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you have to add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is key and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
usually and also
consistently give clean
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand really fast
which needs a lot of tidy
food and also water. Supply
enough at all times as well
as inspect
often to
stop dehydrated as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
filth baths, while others will not occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Attention and also love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly most
likely bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
see their habits, you could
capture health problem or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
various other harmful
signs. Make certain to
likewise look at
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted feathers and also blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and relocate outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
section on chicken coops to read more
regarding coops and also
proper cage environments.
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