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.
Share this:
Related Posts:
Tags:
Baby Chicks Needs in
Lake View, New York
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Lake View New York,
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. Lake View
New York also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Lake View New York, 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 Lake View NY.
Baby Chickens How To Raise in
Lake View, New York
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Lake View New York
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
Lake View New York * 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 Lake View
New York * 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 Online in
Lake View, New York
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
Lake View New York 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 Lake View,
New York Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
challenging to resist,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
appropriate materials, but
likewise the appropriate
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you simply need
to provide them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food and also water Interest and also
love Environment Your environment could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You likewise require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a warmth resource.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can occupy to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and every week this could
be reduced by
around 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source should be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you have to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not just snuggling),
you have to put some heat.
House cleaning
Sanitation is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bed linen
usually and
constantly offer tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks grow very fast
which calls for a lot of clean
food as well as water. Give
enough at all times as well
as examine
usually to prevent thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dust baths, while others won't use up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Focus and love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you could
capture health problem or other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other harmful
signs. Make sure to
additionally consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could lead
to matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to watch out for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and move outside into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops and
correct cage habitats.
Baby Chicks For SaleBaby Chicks Coop More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Great River, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Athol, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Elizabethtown, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Hague, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Hubbardsville, New York