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
Chicks Male in
Hopewell, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Hopewell 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. Hopewell
Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Hopewell 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 Hopewell PA.
Baby Chicks As
Pets in
Hopewell, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Hopewell 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
Hopewell 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 Hopewell
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 For Sale Online in
Hopewell, 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
Hopewell 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 Hopewell,
Pennsylvania Baby chicks are really
charming and also
challenging to stand up to,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
proper materials, however
likewise the correct
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you just need
to supply them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
environment A lot of food and also water Focus and
love Environment Your environment can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks use straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You also require
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Also, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
give them with a warmth source.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can take up to two months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as every week this could
be minimized by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The heat resource should get on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you should
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you should put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
frequently and
consistently offer tidy
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow quite quickly
which calls for lots of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
enough in any way times as well
as examine
typically to
stop thirsty and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will probably bond with you and also
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
view their actions, you can
catch disease or various
other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
also check out
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to look out
for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
as well as move outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken coops to find out
more
concerning coops as well as
appropriate coop environments.
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