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Baby Chickens for Sale in Rutherford, New Jersey

Baby Chickens for Sale in Rutherford, New Jersey

Brooder Box for baby Chicks: A Tutorial

  • 09/26/2012

Our little darling chicks have arrived!  We ordered from mypetchicken.com and found the selection and service to be excellent.  The chicks shipped super fast and were all healthy and well when they arrived (oh and so soft and cute!).  Our little gal chicks will live in their brooder box for about 4-6 weeks, then transition to their chicken coop outdoors, where they will have free range of our backyard once they are full grown.

Investing in chicks can start to get expensive if you don’t DIY.  I considered just using a large cardboard box to keep them in for those first 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I read about chick care said that a large cardboard box would soon be too small for the growing chicks (and potentially too short as well for when they try flying).  Mypetchicken.com sells a  for $72 shipping; however to save some cash, I decided to copy the idea using left over moving boxes I had laying around.

You will need:

2 Large cardboard boxes of the same size

cutting tool

strong tape (duct tape works)

It’s so simple: cut a side open on the two boxes, open them up and then tape the edges together, folding the bottoms in together so they sort of weave and interlock.  You can choose to tape those inside flaps together for added stability.

Added bonus for this design: when the chicks get bigger and can start jumping and trying to fly, you can fold up the top flaps of the boxes and tape them together to add 5 plus inches to the height of your box – cool!  You can also grab a couple long sticks or dowels and punch holes in the sides of the cardboard to set up roosting perches for the chicks about 1-2 inches off the ground.

To make removing and cleaning the pine bedding easier, I picked up a painters drop cloth at the hardware store for $8, size 5×5, and laid it inside the pen before putting down the  bedding.  This will allow me to wrap up the entire bedding/poop mess inside the drop cloth and carry it out to the compost pile.

Other items needed for our 6 little birds were purchased at a local feed store:

  • $5.50 – buy the large one so you don’t have to buy it later when the birds get bigger and try to knock over a smaller sized one you may have bought at first.  Saves you money and time!
  •  $4
  • 3 cubic feet of compressed  $8
  • 25 lbs  $12
  • From Amazon I purchased a  for $11.20
  • and from Amazon also I purchased a $12

My home-made “package” cost $55.70, compared to the starter kit from mypetchicken.com priced at $72 plus shipping.  As an added bonus, I purchased 5 times as much food, got a larger watering device and a metal feeder instead of plastic.  I also was able to get 20 times as much pine bedding and a much sturdier heatlamp.  I’d say that’s a win!  Plus, I do think my recycled cardboard chick house ended up being larger than the size of the packaged one.

And man, are they cute!  My son loves going in there during the day with me to check on them.

For more information on raising baby chicks, I recommend

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Baby Chickens for Sale in Rutherford 
NJ

Baby Chicks To Buy in Rutherford, New Jersey

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Rutherford 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. Rutherford New Jersey also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Rutherford 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 Rutherford NJ.

Baby Chickens And Heat Lamps in Rutherford, New Jersey

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Rutherford 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Rutherford 
NJTypically 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 Rutherford 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 Rutherford 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 Chickens How To Raise in Rutherford, 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 Rutherford 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 Rutherford, New Jersey Baby chicks are extremely cute and also difficult to stand up to, however it's best to prepare for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially by compiling not only the correct materials, yet also the correct expertise to care for them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably straightforward, you simply should provide them with the following: A clean as well as warm habitat A lot of food as well as water Interest as well as love Habitat Your habitat can be an easy box, aquarium, cat carrier, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also blankets (without any loosened strings!) to begin, and after a couple of weeks use straw over paper. Keep in mind: Avoid using only paper or various other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow misshapen. You also require something to provide food and water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks get older you can introduce a perch right into the habitat to obtain them trained on setting down. Heat To maintain your chicks heat you should provide them with a heat resource. This can be as straightforward 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 need this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which could take up to two months). The newly hatched out need a temperature level in between 90 as well as 100 levels, and weekly this can be minimized by roughly 5 degrees or so. The warmth source must get on simply one side of the cage to allow chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermostat- if they are hiding in the opposite corner of your warmth lamp, you need to minimize the temperature. If they are surrounding each various other under the heat (not simply curling up), you have to include some heat. Home cleaning Cleanliness is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to change the bed linens often and always offer tidy food as well as water Food and also water. Chicks expand really quick which calls for plenty of tidy food and water. Give sufficient in any way times as well as examine commonly to avoid dehydrated and starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, as well as it comes in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the initial 2 months, after that switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for an additional 2 months, and then to a somewhat reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking dust bathrooms, while others will not take up that task until they are older. If you have the space in your chick enclosure, present a tray of sand or dust for them to wash in. Attention as well as love There are a few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. To start with, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also not run away as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and see their actions, you could catch illness or various other troubles previously. Keep an eye out for hissing, hopping, or other unhealthy indicators. Make sure to likewise look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted plumes and clogged cloaca. Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the littlest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are currently totally feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety and security of your residence and relocate outside right into a coop. Take a look at our section on chicken coops to get more information regarding cages and also correct coop environments.
Baby Chickens Raising     Baby Chickens
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