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Baby Chickens for Sale in East Mc Keesport, Pennsylvania

Baby Chickens for Sale in East Mc Keesport, Pennsylvania

Chicks & Ducklings Have Landed

Box’O Chicks
Every year or two we order chicks. Generally we order from . They’re a bit more expensive than some places but they offer a wide selection of heritage breeds. We have hatched our own both in a brooder I built and by hens setting but have not used either method for replacing our flock in the spring. In the fall we tend to cull down hard so as not to over winter too many birds. This means virtually all the roosters go to the pot as well as many hens.

This year we got , , , , and . These will be ready to start laying eggs in about four to five months, joining the hens we wintered over.

Hope Checking Chicks

The purpose of having so many chickens is they eat insects, break apart manure patties and smooth out the soil. This is the same function they serve out on the plains with wild livestock. We have a marsh down below us in the floor of the valley that sends us mosquitoes. Without the chickens we would have lots in the air. With the chickens we get almost none. Same for the flies that grow on the manure patties out in the fields. The chickens are an organic pest control and they also break up parasite life cycles, all naturally.

As a side benefit we get a lot of eggs during the warm seasons and some during the cold seasons. Eggs make an excellent source of food for the piglets, weaners and sometimes growers as well as for the dogs. If you cook the eggs it doubles the available protein. Two-for-one! We’ve found that the piglets, and dogs, can eat the shells without problem so we don’t shell the boiled eggs. Actually, I can eat the shells too – gritty but no harm done. Sometimes when I’ve been really hungry, e.g., short on food, I’ve eaten chicken bones so there’s another myth to put to rest.

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Box’O Ducklings
In addition to the chickens we also get ducks. The ducks are great for stirring up the various pig ponds, eating algae and mosquito larva in the water which further helps with pest control. Ducks also eat slugs.
Chicks in Brooder
Following my sketch Will built a great brooder in a third of a stall out in the south field shed. This is by far the best brooder setup we’ve ever had, for one simple reason, it’s not in the kitchen! It’s great for other reasons too but not having chicks in the kitchen is really, really nice. They are amazingly noisy at times. In fact, almost all the time to some degree. With our move from the old farm house three years ago to our new tiny cottage one of the objectives was not to have livestock in the kitchen. We’ve mostly succeeded in that.
Sketch of the Brooder
The brooder is about 8′ long by 4′ wide which gives the chicks plenty of room to expand. There are 100 chicks in there plus the baker’s dozen of ducklings. With the heat lamps it stays nice and toasty in there even when it is -13°F outdoors. It is important to ventilate it a bit every day to keep the humidity from getting too high. Otherwise we have chicks with spikey punk hairdos.
Ducklings and Chicks in Brooder
Feathering friends.

Outdoors: 36°F/2°F Sunny Tiny Cottage: 64°F/59°F

Daily Spark: “I was wrong about veganism. Let them eat meat — but farm it properly.” –, former vegan proponent

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Baby Chickens for Sale in East Mc Keesport 
PA

Baby Chicks Food in East Mc Keesport, Pennsylvania

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in East Mc Keesport 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. East Mc Keesport Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in East Mc Keesport 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 East Mc Keesport PA.

Baby Chicks Baby Chickens in East Mc Keesport, Pennsylvania

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in East Mc Keesport 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 East Mc Keesport 
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 East Mc Keesport 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 East Mc Keesport 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 Price in East Mc Keesport, 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 East Mc Keesport 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 East Mc Keesport, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are quite charming and also difficult to resist, yet it's finest to prepare for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially by compiling not just the right materials, yet additionally the proper expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly simple, you simply should supply them with the following: A tidy and also warm habitat Plenty of food and water Attention as well as love Environment Your habitat could be a simple box, fish tank, feline provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as coverings (without any loosened strings!) to start, and after a couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid using just newspaper or other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow malformed. You also need something to serve up food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Additionally, as the chicks get older you can present a perch into the habitat to obtain them trained on setting down. Heat To keep your chicks heat you need to give them with a heat resource. This could be as basic as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb additionally function very well (my suggestion). Chicks require this warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is changed with plumes (which could use up to two months). The recently hatched out need a temperature level in between 90 and also 100 degrees, as well as each week this can be reduced by approximately 5 levels or so. The heat source need to be on simply one side of the cage to enable chicks a range of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are concealing in the contrary corner of your heat light, you have to lower the temperature level. If they are surrounding each various other under the heat (not just cuddling), you have to add some warmth. Housekeeping Cleanliness is essential as well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to change the bed linens typically and also consistently offer clean food and also water Food and also water. Chicks grow extremely fast which needs a lot of clean food and also water. Provide enough at all times as well as examine usually to stop dehydrated and starving chicks. Chick food is various compared to grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the very first two months, then switch over to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, and afterwards to a somewhat lower protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to get a head start on taking dirt baths, while others will not take up that task till they are older. If you have the room in your chick unit, present a tray of sand or dirt for them to shower in. Attention as well as love There are a few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. To start with, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as not escape as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and also watch their actions, you can catch disease or other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or various other unhealthy signs. Make certain to also take a look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels could lead to matted feathers as well as clogged cloaca. Last but not least, it is necessary to watch out for social concerns, such as the smallest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are currently fully feathery and its time for them to leave the safety of your home and also move outside into a cage. Take a look at our area on chicken coops to learn more about coops and also correct cage environments.
Raising Baby Chickens     Baby Chicks Needs
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