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
Chickens Eggs For Sale in
Lehighton, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Lehighton 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. Lehighton
Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Lehighton 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 Lehighton PA.
Baby Chickens Food in
Lehighton, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Lehighton 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
Lehighton 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 Lehighton
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 Quail Chicks For
Sale in
Lehighton, 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
Lehighton 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 Lehighton,
Pennsylvania Baby chicks are very
cute as well as
tough to withstand,
yet it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
right products, however
likewise the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you simply have to offer them with the following: A tidy and also warm
habitat Plenty of food and water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You additionally need
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you should
provide them with a heat resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally function very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and 100 levels,
as well as every week this can
be lowered by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The warmth source should get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you need to
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not just curling up),
you have to include some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bedding
commonly as well as
constantly offer clean
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which calls for a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Supply
enough at all times as well
as check
typically to
stop dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not use up that activity until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will probably bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
view their actions, you can
catch ailment or other troubles earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
other harmful
indicators. Make sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and move outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages for more information
regarding cages and
appropriate cage environments.
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