Baby Chickens for Sale in Mountville, Pennsylvania
Baby Chickens for Sale in Mountville, Pennsylvania
Easy DIY Chicken Brooder Box
Easy DIY Chicken Brooder Box
Posted on
We’re getting our first chickens this spring (!!) and over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing our experiences along the way. Be sure to subscribe via or to keep up with our latest posts!
Chicken brooder boxes come in all shapes and sizes. They can be small and simple as a cardboard box or kiddie-pool, or a large, complex custom-build. For our booder box, these were my concerns:
Sturdy. With curious pets and kids in the house, I wanted something more sturdy than a cardboard box.
Safe. Again, the pets (specifically our cat, Stuart) was my main concern. I wanted to make sure the baby chiks would be safe from any “investigating” he might want to do.
Easy & inexpensive to build. I’m relatively handy, but I’m no builder. I wanted something I could build quickly and easily with the basic tools I have on hand.
So here’s what I came up with…
Materials
50-gallon Sterilite tote ($16, WalMart)
Chicken wire, 25′ roll ($9.99, Tractor Supply)
Plastic zip ties ($1.59, Dollar General)
Tools
Cordless drill (I have a Black & Decker , part of their 20V system.)
1/4″ drill bit
Jig saw
Wire cutters
How to Build Your Brooder Box
1. First we’ll cut away the hole in the lid for the chicken wire: Using your cordless drill and 1/4″ drill bit, drill a hole near the corner of the lid, about 3″ or 4″ in from the edge. This will be the pilot hole for your saw blade.
2. Using your jig saw, insert the blade into the hole you just drilled, then cut out the center section of the lid, leaving a 3-4″ border around the rim of the lid to keep rigidity.
3. Next, drill holes around the perimeter of the hole you just cut. You want to make them close enough to the edge that the zip ties will work, but not so close to the edge that they crack and break through.
4. Flip your lid upside down and unroll your chicken wire on top of it. Use your wire cutters (I actually borrowed Mike’s guitar string cutter tool) to trim the chicken wire to size. Thread zip ties through the holes drilled in the lid and use them to secure the chicken wire in place.
5. Once the chicken wire is secured, you can trim the zip ties so they don’t hang down into the brooder.
6. Release your toddler (and/or pets) for testing…
Hooray! It’s Myles-approved!
Related
Baby Quail Chicks in
Mountville, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Mountville 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. Mountville
Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Mountville 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 Mountville PA.
Baby Chickens For Sale in
Mountville, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Mountville 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
Mountville 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 Mountville
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 Eggs For Sale in
Mountville, 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
Mountville 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 Mountville,
Pennsylvania Baby chicks are extremely
charming and
difficult to resist,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not only the
proper materials, however
likewise the proper
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you just have to give them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
environment A lot of food and water Attention and also
love Habitat Your environment can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you should
provide them with a warmth source.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and also each week this can
be decreased by
around 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source must be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply curling up),
you have to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bed linen
commonly and also
constantly supply clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which requires lots of tidy
food and water. Supply
sufficient in any way times and check
frequently to avoid parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
filth baths, while others won't take
up that activity till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Interest as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you could
capture ailment or various
other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Make certain to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted feathers as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to look out
for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and relocate outside right into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken coops to find out
more
about cages and
proper cage habitats.
Baby Chickens For Sale Free ShippingBaby Chickens Male Or Female More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Kittanning, Pennsylvania Baby Chickens for Sale in Milroy, Pennsylvania Baby Chickens for Sale in Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania Baby Chickens for Sale in East Vandergrift, Pennsylvania Baby Chickens for Sale in Milford Square, Pennsylvania