Chickens are social birds and really need to have at least one friend, so count on starting with a minimum of two. Having multiple birds will also help them keep each other warm in the winter time. So, how many should you get? I read somewhere that two hens per family member is a good guideline. By their rule, if you have a family of 5, that would mean 10 hens. But also keep in mind that young hens can lay one egg every 1-2 days during the warm months. That means you could have 35-70 eggs in one week’s time! That’s quite a few eggs. Now you can freeze eggs, cook or bake items that use eggs and freeze those, but you still should take that into consideration when deciding how many. Personally if we were to start again, I would go with 5-8 hens. This coming from the family that currently has 18 hens … but we’re also selling quite a few eggs.
We’ve never gotten eggs for incubation, so I can’t offer any advice on how to start there.
Our chickens have always come as baby chicks. There are two ways I know of to get chickens this way – buy them local or find an online source. I’m pretty sure our local Blaine’s Farm & Fleet has chickens each spring. Selection would be limited but you should find only those breeds suited to your area.
We’ve had good luck ordering from Murray McMurray Hatchery. They have a wide array of breeds and you can find some good deals (which is how we ended up ordering 45 birds the first time!). The downside to mail-ordering birds is there is usually a minimum number you have to order so they can keep each other warm in the box during the few days they are being shipped. And yes, they do actually come via US Postal Service. The post office knows how to handle them so they get to you in time. There’s always a risk of chicks not surviving the shipping process. We lost one last year when we ordered again. Sometimes hatcheries will take that into consideration and throw in an extra bird just in case (but don’t count on it). Let them know if a bird doesn’t survive – they may give you a refund or discount if it’s within 24-48 hrs of arrival.
If you get baby chicks instead of full-grown hens, keep in mind that you will need to keep them warm … like 90-95°F warm the first few weeks of their lives. This requires a heat lamp or some other heat source, and a “brooder” area where you can make sure they are draft-free. This area could be inside your existing coop (if there aren’t hens in there already), but you’ll want to contain them in a smaller size to make sure they stay warm. As the weeks pass you can move the heat lamp up, reducing the temperature by 5-degrees per week until they’re ready to go outside.
You could also check out local sites like Craigslist as there might be some people that received full-grown chickens can no longer keep them.
There are a multitude of choices for chicken breeds out there. You can get
great egg-producers
dual-purpose breeds (if you intend to eat your birds later)
breeds that are cold-hardy
“fancy” birds with amazing plumage, aka ornamentals
rare breeds – some of which are endangered.
and have great listings of chicken breeds to help you sort it out.
For our location, we wanted to make sure our chickens would be cold-hardy. We also wanted fairly good layers, so most of our hens are either Speckled Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. We also had good luck with Buff Orpingtons. Opal is our one remaining Silver-Laced Wyandotte from the first batch.
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Baby Chickens As Pets in
Spofford, New Hampshire
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Spofford New Hampshire,
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. Spofford
New Hampshire also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Spofford New Hampshire, 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 Spofford NH.
Baby Chicks Needs in
Spofford, New Hampshire
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Spofford New Hampshire
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
Spofford New Hampshire * 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 Spofford
New Hampshire * 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 Bedding in
Spofford, New Hampshire
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
Spofford New Hampshire 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 Spofford,
New Hampshire Baby chicks are really
charming and also
hard to withstand,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
right products, however
also the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you simply have to supply them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
habitat Lots of food and also water Attention and
love Environment Your habitat can be an easy box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using only
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You additionally require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Also, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise function effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and weekly this could
be reduced by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The heat resource must be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your warmth
lamp, you need to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you need to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Tidiness is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter
the bed linen
commonly and
consistently give tidy
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which calls for lots of tidy
food and water. Give
enough in any way times and also check
commonly to
stop parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Interest and love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will most
likely bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their actions, you can
capture ailment or various
other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
indications. Make certain to
also consider
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted plumes and clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to watch out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also relocate outside into a cage. Take a look at our
part on chicken coops to learn more
concerning coops as well as
appropriate cage habitats.
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