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
And Ducks For Sale in
Buena Vista, New Mexico
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Buena Vista New Mexico,
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. Buena Vista
New Mexico also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Buena Vista New Mexico, 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 Buena Vista NM.
Baby Chickens Diet in
Buena Vista, New Mexico
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Buena Vista New Mexico
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
Buena Vista New Mexico * 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 Buena Vista
New Mexico * 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 Types in
Buena Vista, New Mexico
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
Buena Vista New Mexico 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 Buena Vista,
New Mexico Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
challenging to withstand,
however it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not only the
right products, but
additionally the correct
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely have to give them with the following: A tidy and warm
environment Lots of food as well
as water Attention and also
love Habitat Your habitat can be a
simple box, aquarium,
cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally require
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Also, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you need to
give them with a warmth resource.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could use
up to two months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 and 100 levels,
and each week this could
be lowered by
about 5 levels or
so. The heat resource need to be on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you have to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you need to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is crucial as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linen
often as well as
always give tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks grow really quick
which calls for plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Provide
enough whatsoever times and also check
commonly to prevent dehydrated and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't take
up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
enjoy their behavior, you can
catch ailment or various
other issues earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
additionally consider
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted feathers as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
as well as move outside right into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken cages to learn more
regarding cages as well as
correct cage habitats.
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