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 Chicks As
Pets in
Freeport, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Freeport 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. Freeport
Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Freeport 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 Freeport PA.
Baby Chicks And Ducks in
Freeport, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Freeport 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
Freeport 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 Freeport
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 Mail in
Freeport, 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
Freeport 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 Freeport,
Pennsylvania Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
difficult to resist,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
appropriate products, but
also the correct
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you just should give them with the following: A
clean and cozy
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Focus and
love Habitat Your habitat could be a
simple box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally require
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Likewise, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you need to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also each week this can
be reduced by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The warmth source need to be on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you have to include some heat.
House cleaning
Tidiness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linens
frequently as well as
constantly offer clean
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow quite quick
which needs lots of clean
food and also water. Supply
enough in any way times and also inspect
usually to
stop parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Interest 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 as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their actions, you could
capture health problem or other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other undesirable
indications. Make sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers and also stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathery
and its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
as well as move outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
area on chicken coops for more information
about cages and also
correct cage environments.
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