Baby Chickens for Sale in Apollo, Pennsylvania
Baby Chickens for Sale in Apollo, Pennsylvania
You can raise chickens in your backyard; find out more in two classes
Weston Henning, 4, of Newfane holds a Rhode Island Red hen. Upcoming classes will cover how to raise chickens in your backyard.
by Connie Oswald Stofko
“Chickens are easy to take care of, they don’t cost a lot and they can be good pets, said Amanda Henning, Agriculture and Food Systems Educator with .
But before you run out and get a bunch of fuzzy chicks, find out what is really involved in raising chickens.
Henning, who raises chickens herself, will teach two classes on “Backyard Chickens” in the small meeting room of the 4-H Training Center of Niagara County Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4487 Lake Ave., Lockport.
Class 1, “Backyard Chicken Basics,” will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
Class 2, “Backyard Chicken Keeping,” will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.
The cost is $10 for each class or $15 for both.
To register, call Karen at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County at (716) 433-8839, ext. 221.
The classes are being held now because fall and winter are the best times to prepare for new chickens, which are widely available in the spring.
A big issue is whether you are allowed to keep chickens where you live. Henning lives in Newfane, where rules allow her to keep one horse, one cow and 10 chickens.
In nearby Lockport, you can keep chickens if you live in an agricultural district, but they must be penned, not free range. If you live in a residential area, you’re not allowed to keep chickens.
However, even if you live in an area where chickens aren’t allowed, you might be able to get a variable use permit, Henning said.
To find out what the rules are where you live, call your municipality. It can be very helpful talking to and working with your local officials, she said.
With the local food movement, many people are more interested in knowing where their food comes from, Henning said. Some people have gardens, but they want to take it one step further. You can raise chickens to provide eggs or meat.
With the price of eggs so high right now, it can be economical in the long run to raise your own chickens, Henning said. You don’t have to use expensive feed.
Building or buying a coop can be the largest expense, but you could use an old dog house to raise a couple of chickens.
“You can be creative,” she said, “and chickens are pretty hardy.”
Henning’s coop is about 3 ½ feet by 5 feet and their pen is about 6 feet by 8 feet.
“You don’t need a lot of room,” she said.
Chickens generally lay one egg in a 24-hour period, but their laying is affected by the number of daylight hours. In the winter, when there is less daylight, people will often have a light on the coop to get the hens to lay.
Henning has Rhode Island Reds, which lay brown eggs, and Americana hens, which lay turquoise eggs. The taste and nutrition of the eggs is the same as white chicken eggs, but it’s cool to have blue-green eggs, she said.
The other reason she chose those breeds is because her children interact with the animals.
“My kids feed them and pet them,” Henning said. “Depending on what breed you get, they can be really friendly. But honestly, some breeds are not family friendly. They have a little grouchier disposition, I would say.”
Having proper housing is important when keeping chickens.
“There are so many things that want to eat them,” she said. Snakes will try to eat the eggs. Foxes, raccoons, rats and even hawks will go after the adults.
“Then there’s your neighbor’s dog, or your dog,” Henning said.
Cats aren’t much of a threat, she said.
“Cats are about the same size as a chicken,” she said, though a cat would go after baby chicks.
Henning will also cover how to keep your chickens healthy. This summer, to prevent the spread of avian flu. While the current strain isn’t harmful to humans, it can be deadly to chickens. Owners can have their birds vaccinated, and it’s a good idea not to have someone who also owns chickens touch your birds. However, this is more of an issue when there are lots of chickens confined to one area.
Starting with chicks or eggs from certified dealers is also important to have healthy chickens, she said.
The classes will also cover hatching chicks from eggs, nutrition and anatomy.
Chickens are easy to care for, but the classes will help you know what is involved.
“With a coop, food and clean water, and they’re good to go,” Henning said. “But do your research just to make sure this is something you want to do before you get into it.”
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Baby Chickens Black in Apollo, Pennsylvania
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Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Apollo Pennsylvania 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
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Baby Chickens How To Care in Apollo, Pennsylvania
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 Apollo Pennsylvania 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 Apollo, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are quite charming and hard to resist, yet it's finest to plan for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially by gathering not only the proper products, however likewise the correct understanding to care for them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably straightforward, you simply need to give them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable environment Lots of food as well as water Attention and also love Environment Your environment can be a simple box, fish tank, feline provider, 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 using just newspaper or other sandal surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow malformed. You also need something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks age you could present a perch right into the habitat to obtain them educated on perching. Heat To maintain your chicks heat you need to provide them with a warmth resource. This could be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb additionally work extremely well (my recommendation). Chicks require this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is replaced with plumes (which can take up to 2 months). The freshly hatched out need a temperature level in between 90 as well as 100 levels, and also each week this can be lowered by roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat resource should be on simply one side of the cage to enable chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermostat- if they are concealing in the other corner of your heat lamp, you need to lower the temperature. If they are smothering each various other under the warmth (not just cuddling), you need to put some warmth. House cleaning Tidiness is crucial and it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to alter the bed linens usually and always give clean food and water Food and also water. Chicks expand quite fast which calls for lots of tidy food and also water. Provide enough whatsoever times as well as inspect frequently to avoid thirsty as well as hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the very first 2 months, then switch to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, then to a somewhat reduced protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking filth bathrooms, while others will not use up that activity till they are older. If you have the space in your chick room, present a tray of sand or dust for them to bathe in. Focus and also love There are a few advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start with, they will probably bond with you and not flee as adults. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and also enjoy their actions, you could catch illness or other troubles earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or various other harmful signs. Make certain to likewise consider their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted feathers and also obstructed cloaca. Last but not least, it is essential to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are currently completely feathered as well as its time for them to leave the safety and security of your house and also relocate outside into a coop. Take a look at our area on chicken coops to find out more regarding coops as well as appropriate cage habitats.Baby Chickens And Ducks Baby Chicks For Sale
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