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 Outside in
Smokerun, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Smokerun 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. Smokerun
Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Smokerun 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 Smokerun PA.
Baby Chickens How To Care For Them in
Smokerun, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Smokerun 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
Smokerun 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 Smokerun
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
Near Me in
Smokerun, 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
Smokerun 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 Smokerun,
Pennsylvania Baby chicks are quite
charming as well as
difficult to resist,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
proper materials, however
likewise the correct
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you merely have to offer them with the following: A
clean and warm and comfortable
environment Plenty of food and also water Focus as well as
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Also, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you should
provide them with a warmth resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The recently
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also each week this could
be reduced by
approximately 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource should be on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you should add some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is key as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to alter
the bedding
commonly and also
always give tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow quite quickly
which requires plenty of clean
food and also water. Offer
sufficient in any way times as well
as check
usually to
stop dehydrated as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dust baths, while others won't use up that task till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Focus as well as love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
view their habits, you could
catch ailment or various
other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other undesirable
indications. Be sure to
additionally check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted plumes as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as relocate outside right into a
coop. Check out our
area on chicken cages to get more information
regarding coops and
proper coop environments.
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