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
Pine Valley, New York
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Pine Valley 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. Pine Valley
New York also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Pine Valley 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 Pine Valley NY.
Baby Chicks Food in
Pine Valley, New York
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Pine Valley 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
Pine Valley 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 Pine Valley
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 Under Heat Lamp in
Pine Valley, 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
Pine Valley 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 Pine Valley,
New York Baby chicks are quite
cute and also
hard to stand up to,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not only the
correct products, but
also the correct
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you simply have to provide them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food and water Attention as well as
love Environment Your habitat can be an easy box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also need
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
supply 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 warmth
bulb likewise work effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could take up to two months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be decreased by
about 5 levels approximately. The heat source ought
to be on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you should put some heat.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to alter
the bedding
frequently and also
consistently give clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow really fast
which calls for lots of tidy
food and also water. Offer
enough at all times and also examine
often to
stop dehydrated and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you as well as
not flee as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
view their actions, you could
catch ailment or other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
indications. Be sure to
likewise consider
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted plumes as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to watch out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and also relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages to find out
more
about cages and also
proper coop environments.
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