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 Chicks In The Mail in
Maysville, Oklahoma
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Maysville 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. Maysville
Oklahoma also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Maysville 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 Maysville OK.
Baby Chicks Names in
Maysville, Oklahoma
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Maysville 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
Maysville 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 Maysville
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 On
Sale in
Maysville, 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
Maysville 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 Maysville,
Oklahoma Baby chicks are really
cute as well as
tough to stand up to,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
appropriate materials, yet
additionally the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you merely should give them with the following: A
clean and cozy
habitat A lot of food and also water Attention and
love Environment Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you should
supply them with a heat resource.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also work effectively (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
as well as weekly this can
be decreased by
around 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource should get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your warmth
light, you have to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not simply cuddling),
you have to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bedding
commonly and also
consistently provide clean
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks expand extremely fast
which calls for plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
sufficient in any way times and examine
often to
stop thirsty as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will probably bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
view their habits, you can
capture health problem or other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted feathers as well
as clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
as well as move outside right into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken coops to read more
regarding coops and also
correct coop environments.
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