Things No One Told You About Raising Baby Chicks On The Homestead
There are as many ways and opinions about how to raise chickens as there are chicken breeds. It is amazing at how passionate people are about their chickens and how they raise them. As the little chicks develop you can literally see them changing day to day. One day they had no wing feathers, and the next day they had visibly sprouted. Merissa over at shares raising baby chickens – a beginners guide to baby chicken care.
Raising Baby Chickens & Baby Chicken Care
Who can resist this cute little fuzzy baby chickens at the local farm supply store? They look so sweet and innocent and are just begging for you to take them home.
Even though having raising baby chickens seems easy enough (feed water = happy chickens!), it’s a little more complicated than it appears. Thankfully once you have a few tips and tricks under your belt it will be a breeze and your birds will stay happy and healthy and become the nice, producing flock you hope they will be.
I’ve raised chickens for many many years. When I was little we would have so much fun heading to the feed store and picking out our special birds that we would raise for the 4-H Achievement Days. Then we would spend weeks obsessing over our little birds and watching them as they slowly outgrew their fuzz and gain lovely feathers in all different colors. Of course, not every batch of birds turned out perfectly and there were many bumps along the way, but hopefully you will learn from our mistakes!
Let’s start in the beginning with that trip to the feed store. Most feed stores carry the basic breeds that will grow to be healthy meat and laying birds. You can check out . If you want to raise birds for laying eggs, make sure to get pullets (hens), if you don’t care as much or are raising birds for butchering, you can stick with the cheaper straight run. I’ve personally had one too many roosters chase me across the yard so I stick with all pullets. *Remember, there is always a chance that you may have some roosters, even in a pullet bunch…sexing chickens isn’t always accurate when they are so young.
Tip! Ask your feed store what day they get chickens in from their source and come pick out your birds a few days later. That way you know the birds made it through the shock of being transported and have a higher chance of being healthy.
While you are at the feed store, make sure to pick up several items. You will need a feeder, a waterer, chick starter, wood shavings, and a heat lamp set up. You will also need some kind of rubber or plastic tub if you don’t have one. A plastic tote works well for a small batch of birds, as does a rubber animal waterer. If there is someone around to help you, you can also ask them about baby chicken care, especially if you are getting a specialty breed.
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Baby
Chickens How To Care in
Balko, Oklahoma
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Balko Oklahoma,
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. Balko
Oklahoma also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Balko Oklahoma, 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 Balko OK.
Baby Quail Chicks For
Sale in
Balko, Oklahoma
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Balko Oklahoma
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
Balko Oklahoma * 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 Balko
Oklahoma * 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 Care in
Balko, Oklahoma
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
Balko Oklahoma 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 Balko,
Oklahoma Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
hard to stand up to,
yet it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
appropriate products, but
likewise the appropriate
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you just should supply them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and also water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing just
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You likewise need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you should
provide them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could use
up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and weekly this can
be lowered by
about 5 levels approximately. The heat source must be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you have to add some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bedding
frequently and also
constantly provide clean
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks expand very quick
which needs plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Give
enough whatsoever times and inspect
usually to avoid dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't take
up that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Focus and love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
watch their habits, you could
capture illness or various
other issues earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
signs. Be sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to watch out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as move outside right into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops and also
proper coop environments.
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