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Baby Chickens for Sale in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Baby Chickens for Sale in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Brooder Box for baby Chicks: A Tutorial

  • 09/26/2012

Our little darling chicks have arrived!  We ordered from mypetchicken.com and found the selection and service to be excellent.  The chicks shipped super fast and were all healthy and well when they arrived (oh and so soft and cute!).  Our little gal chicks will live in their brooder box for about 4-6 weeks, then transition to their chicken coop outdoors, where they will have free range of our backyard once they are full grown.

Investing in chicks can start to get expensive if you don’t DIY.  I considered just using a large cardboard box to keep them in for those first 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I read about chick care said that a large cardboard box would soon be too small for the growing chicks (and potentially too short as well for when they try flying).  Mypetchicken.com sells a  for $72 shipping; however to save some cash, I decided to copy the idea using left over moving boxes I had laying around.

You will need:

2 Large cardboard boxes of the same size

cutting tool

strong tape (duct tape works)

It’s so simple: cut a side open on the two boxes, open them up and then tape the edges together, folding the bottoms in together so they sort of weave and interlock.  You can choose to tape those inside flaps together for added stability.

Added bonus for this design: when the chicks get bigger and can start jumping and trying to fly, you can fold up the top flaps of the boxes and tape them together to add 5 plus inches to the height of your box – cool!  You can also grab a couple long sticks or dowels and punch holes in the sides of the cardboard to set up roosting perches for the chicks about 1-2 inches off the ground.

To make removing and cleaning the pine bedding easier, I picked up a painters drop cloth at the hardware store for $8, size 5×5, and laid it inside the pen before putting down the  bedding.  This will allow me to wrap up the entire bedding/poop mess inside the drop cloth and carry it out to the compost pile.

Other items needed for our 6 little birds were purchased at a local feed store:

  • $5.50 – buy the large one so you don’t have to buy it later when the birds get bigger and try to knock over a smaller sized one you may have bought at first.  Saves you money and time!
  •  $4
  • 3 cubic feet of compressed  $8
  • 25 lbs  $12
  • From Amazon I purchased a  for $11.20
  • and from Amazon also I purchased a $12

My home-made “package” cost $55.70, compared to the starter kit from mypetchicken.com priced at $72 plus shipping.  As an added bonus, I purchased 5 times as much food, got a larger watering device and a metal feeder instead of plastic.  I also was able to get 20 times as much pine bedding and a much sturdier heatlamp.  I’d say that’s a win!  Plus, I do think my recycled cardboard chick house ended up being larger than the size of the packaged one.

And man, are they cute!  My son loves going in there during the day with me to check on them.

For more information on raising baby chicks, I recommend

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Baby Chickens for Sale in Drexel Hill 
PA

Baby Chicks Baby Chickens in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Drexel Hill 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. Drexel Hill Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Drexel Hill 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 Drexel Hill PA.

Baby Chicks Names in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Drexel Hill 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Drexel Hill 
PATypically 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 Drexel Hill 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 Drexel Hill 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 Chicks Needs in Drexel Hill, 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 Drexel Hill 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 Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are really cute as well as tough to stand up to, yet it's best to prepare for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first by compiling not only the correct materials, yet also the proper understanding to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly basic, you merely have to give them with the following: A clean and also warm environment A lot of food and also water Interest and also love Environment Your habitat could be an easy box, aquarium, pet cat carrier, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also coverings (with no loose strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks use straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid utilizing just paper or various other slipper surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand misshapen. You also require something to dish out food and also water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container cover for food and also a family pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch into the habitat to obtain them trained on perching. Heat To keep your chicks warm you need to give 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 heat light bulb likewise work very well (my suggestion). Chicks require this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which can take up to two months). The newly hatched out need a temperature in between 90 and also 100 degrees, and every week this can be decreased by about 5 levels or so. The warmth source need to get on simply one side of the cage to enable chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermostat- if they are hiding in the other corner of your warmth lamp, you should decrease the temperature. If they are surrounding each other under the heat (not just curling up), you should put some heat. Home cleaning Tidiness is crucial and it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to change the bed linen typically and also consistently supply clean food and water Food and water. Chicks grow really quickly which calls for a lot of clean food and water. Supply sufficient whatsoever times and also check commonly to prevent dehydrated and hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes in both medicated and also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the initial two months, after that change to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for an additional 2 months, and then to a slightly lower protein feed or a level feed (if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking filth baths, while others won't use up that activity till they are older. If you have the room in your chick room, introduce a tray of sand or dirt for them to wash in. Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will most likely bond with you and not flee as adults. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily as well as enjoy their habits, you can catch health problem or various other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or other harmful indicators. Make sure to also consider their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead to matted plumes and obstructed cloaca. Finally, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are now totally feathery as well as its time for them to leave the safety and security of your home and relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our part on chicken cages to get more information concerning cages and proper coop environments.
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