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 Raising in
Arch Cape, Oregon
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Arch Cape Oregon,
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. Arch Cape
Oregon also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Arch Cape Oregon, 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 Arch Cape OR.
Baby Chicks By Mail in
Arch Cape, Oregon
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Arch Cape Oregon
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
Arch Cape Oregon * 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 Arch Cape
Oregon * 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 In A Box in
Arch Cape, Oregon
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
Arch Cape Oregon 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 Arch Cape,
Oregon Baby chicks are very
charming and
challenging to withstand,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
right materials, however
also the proper
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you simply need
to provide them with the following: A
clean and also cozy
environment Lots of food as well
as water Focus and
love Habitat Your environment can be a
simple box, aquarium,
cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You also require
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
provide them with a heat source.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched require a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be minimized by
around 5 levels approximately. The warmth source must get on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you should put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter
the bed linen
often and
consistently supply tidy
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand extremely quickly
which calls for plenty of tidy
food and also water. Offer
enough in any way times as well
as inspect
typically to avoid thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that task until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
view their actions, you can
capture illness or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Be sure to
also check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted feathers as well
as clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
and also relocate outside into a
coop. Look into our
area on chicken cages for more information
concerning coops as well as
proper coop environments.
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