In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby Chickens
And Ducks For Sale in
Reynolds, North Dakota
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Reynolds North Dakota,
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. Reynolds
North Dakota also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Reynolds North Dakota, 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 Reynolds ND.
Baby Chickens Facts in
Reynolds, North Dakota
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Reynolds North Dakota
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
Reynolds North Dakota * 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 Reynolds
North Dakota * 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 For Easter in
Reynolds, North Dakota
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
Reynolds North Dakota 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 Reynolds,
North Dakota Baby chicks are extremely
adorable and also
hard to withstand,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
correct materials, but
likewise the appropriate
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you merely should give them with the following: A
clean and also warm
environment Lots of food as well
as water Attention and also
love Environment Your environment could be a basic box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to 2 months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and every week this could
be minimized by
roughly 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource must get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not simply cuddling),
you need to put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to transform
the bed linens
frequently and also
always give clean
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks grow very quick
which calls for lots of tidy
food and water. Offer
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as check
frequently to avoid thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy 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 activity up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Interest and also love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their actions, you can
catch ailment or other troubles earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other harmful
signs. Make sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted feathers as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Finally, it is important to watch out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to find out
more
regarding coops and
appropriate cage environments.
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