Baby Chickens for Sale in Biglerville, Pennsylvania
Baby Chickens for Sale in Biglerville, Pennsylvania
Chickens Should Come With Warning Labels
Two years ago, Adam and I began to discuss having backyard chickens.
We read a lot, watched a lot of YouTube videos, and learned so much.
A couple of the reasons that we finally decided to give it a go were that their composted droppings are great for gardens and that they are pretty easy to take care of.
We have found both of those reasons to be very true.
However, we also have learned a lot since owning our little flock of hens that we never found in our research.
Based on what I have learned as the owner of backyard chickens, I have decided that backyard chickens need to come with Warning Labels.
If you are thinking of getting chickens or already have baby chicks… prepare yourself.
Photo by Hive and Honey Photography
Warning #1: People will think you have gone insane.
We have had people have no problem telling us everything from “Eww, what about the poop?” To “Why work so hard?” To, plain and simple, “You are making a huge mistake.”
(I mean… What if people said these things about babies??)
And that’s from the people in the country… People who have actually seen a chicken outside of a petting zoo or a kitchen decoration.
Where I grew up, the HOA allowed only two dogs and two cats per household. Max. Chickens were not a topic of discussion.
Just imagine what the people I grew up with must think if they have heard that over fifty chickens have called my backyard home at one time.
In-sane.
Warning #2: You may be the sweetest person on the planet, but you will become incredibly stuck up.
No one really talks about it, but I think it’s very common for owners of backyard chickens to suffer from a phenomenon called “egg snobbery.”
On your business trip you will cringe at the site of the scrambled eggs made from egg beaters at the hotel’s very generic continental breakfast.
You will turn up your nose as you walk down the egg aisle at the grocery store knowing that your eggs at home are far superior.
And, when someone Instagrams a shot of their homemade brunch with two very sad sunny side up eggs with shapeless and dull colored yolks you will smirk and say sarcastically to yourself, “That’s cute…”
Warning #3: You will also become a paranoid freak.
I don’t have children, but, thanks to the chickens, I have gotten a sneak peak of what parenthood is all about.
Spoiler Alert: It’s a 24/7/365 anxiety attack.
Any threat of bad weather, be it extreme cold, snow, high winds, tornadoes, extreme heat, whatever, my mind goes to the hens… and that they are going to die.
Any dog, cat, raccoon, and owl within a two mile radius of the coop is the enemy.
I am sorry. I don’t care how cute your dog is. I probably hate it until I know that it doesn’t think my sweet hens are a chew toy.
PS- Just today I heard on the radio that a six foot boa constrictor escaped from it’s cage and is on the loose somewhere in the local listening area.
You guys... HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS!?!?
Warning #4: Anything pop culture will suddenly become very uninteresting.
That check you write to the cable company each month will seem like a huge waste.
You haven’t been Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s… You have been Keeping Up with the Chickens.
The day you bring them home you will begin to see each chicken’s unique personality.
And as they grow, you would rather spend your time watching them roam the yard than watch that movie getting Oscar Buzz. The movie could be a flop. But, watching the chickens you might catch that hilarious moment when one might slurp up a huge worm like a piece of spaghetti and the others come rushing over in a fit of jealousy. Somebody call the Academy!
Oh. And, you will post things like this on Facebook and it will be 100% true:
Warning #5: Once you get that first chick, you will be a chicken owner the rest of your life.
Admittedly, I have never been a huge fan of animals.
In fact, as a kid, animals made me kind of nervous.
My uncle loves to tell the story of when I was a toddler… my foot was dangling by my moms hip as she held me and his weimaraner licked my foot. I apparently screamed like bloody murder and was convinced that the dog bit me.
(To my credit, a weimaraner to a three year old might as well be a fierce looking horse.)
As an adult, and thanks to a fabulous (thirty pound…) family dog in my childhood, I have warmed up to animals.
I am really excited for the day that we get a dog. And I understand that to make Adam happy this dog will be larger than thirty pounds… and I am okay with that.
Because we have enjoyed our dabbles in homesteading, we have been talking about getting a couple cows and even pigs just to give it a try.
Dogs will likely come and go, depending on our future children wants, and we may find other kinds of livestock exhausting.
But, thanks to the wonderful eggs…
The funny way the ladies interact with one another…
The way it feels like they are able to almost communicate with Adam and me when we are in the garden…
The pure joy in any of our friend’s kids faces when they are chasing the hens…
The joy that I cannot wait to see in my own children… and grandchildren’s faces…
I know that for the rest of my life, I will be the proud owner of a flock of backyard chickens.
Photo by Hive and Honey Photography
You have been warned.
Baby Chicks Breeds in Biglerville, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Biglerville Pennsylvania, 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. Biglerville Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Biglerville Pennsylvania, 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 Biglerville PA.Baby Chicks Order in Biglerville, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Biglerville 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
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
Biglerville Pennsylvania * 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 Biglerville
Pennsylvania * 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 Breeds in Biglerville, 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 Biglerville 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 Biglerville, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are really charming and also hard to withstand, however it's best to prepare for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially by gathering not just the correct materials, yet additionally the appropriate understanding to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly easy, you simply have to provide them with the following: A tidy and also cozy environment Plenty of food as well as water Focus and love Habitat Your habitat could be an easy box, aquarium, feline provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as coverings (without loose strings!) to start, and after a couple of weeks make use of straw over paper. Note: Avoid using only newspaper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You likewise need something to provide food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and water recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch into the environment to obtain them trained on setting down. Warmth To keep your chicks heat you have to give them with a heat source. This can be as simple as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb also function very well (my recommendation). Chicks need this heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is replaced with plumes (which could use up to two months). The newly hatched out need a temperature in between 90 as well as 100 levels, as well as every week this could be lowered by around 5 degrees approximately. The warmth source ought to be on simply one side of the cage to allow chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are concealing in the contrary corner of your warmth lamp, you have to reduce the temperature. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not merely cuddling), you should put some heat. House cleaning Sanitation is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to transform the bedding usually and always offer tidy food and water Food and water. Chicks grow quite fast which needs lots of clean food as well as water. Offer enough in any way times as well as inspect usually to prevent dehydrated as well as hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the very first 2 months, after that switch to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for an additional 2 months, and then to a slightly reduced protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking dust bathrooms, while others will not occupy that task up until they are older. If you have the area in your chick room, introduce a tray of sand or filth for them to wash in. Attention as well as love There are a couple of benefits to hanging out with your chicks. Firstly, they will probably bond with you and not run away as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and enjoy their behavior, you can catch illness or other issues previously. Keep an eye out for hissing, limping, or other unhealthy signs. Make certain to additionally check out their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead to matted feathers and also blocked cloaca. Last but not least, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the littlest chick getting picked on. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are now completely feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety of your house and also relocate outside right into a coop. Check out our section on chicken cages for more information regarding coops and also proper cage habitats.Baby Chicks Baby Chickens Baby Chickens Outside
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