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 Online in
Middlesex, New Jersey
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Middlesex New Jersey,
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. Middlesex
New Jersey also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Middlesex New Jersey, 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 Middlesex NJ.
Baby Chicks Near Me in
Middlesex, New Jersey
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Middlesex New Jersey
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
Middlesex New Jersey * 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 Middlesex
New Jersey * 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 Online in
Middlesex, New Jersey
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
Middlesex New Jersey 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 Middlesex,
New Jersey Baby chicks are very
cute as well as
difficult to withstand,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
right products, yet
likewise the correct
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you simply need
to supply them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food and also water Focus as well as
love Habitat Your habitat could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Also, as the chicks age you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a warmth source.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb likewise function extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 levels,
and weekly this can
be minimized by
roughly 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource need to be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you should
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you need to put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linen
usually as well as
always give tidy
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand really quick
which calls for a lot of clean
food as well as water. Give
enough in any way times as well
as inspect
commonly to prevent parched and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't take
up that task till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Interest and love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you could
catch illness or various
other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted feathers as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and also move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages for more information
regarding cages and
proper cage environments.
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