Baby Chickens for Sale in Stillwater, Pennsylvania
Baby Chickens for Sale in Stillwater, Pennsylvania
Things I Didn’t Know a Year Ago: Chicken Edition
In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
- Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
- Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
- Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
- People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
- Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
- Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
- Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
- An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
- The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
- Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
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Baby Chickens By Mail in Stillwater, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Stillwater 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. Stillwater Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Stillwater 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 Stillwater PA.Baby Chicks To Buy in Stillwater, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Stillwater 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
Stillwater 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 Stillwater
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.
Raising Baby Chickens in Stillwater, 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 Stillwater 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 Stillwater, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are extremely cute and challenging to resist, yet it's finest to plan for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first by gathering not only the correct materials, but also the appropriate knowledge to care for them. Raising baby chicks is relatively easy, you merely have to supply them with the following: A clean and cozy habitat A lot of food as well as water Interest and love Environment Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank, feline service provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and also blankets (without any loose strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks use straw over paper. Note: Avoid using only paper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand misshapen. You also require something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and water dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar lid for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks get older you can introduce a perch into the environment to obtain them educated on setting down. Warmth To maintain your chicks heat you have to provide them with a heat source. This could be as basic as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb additionally work effectively (my recommendation). Chicks require this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which can take up to 2 months). The newly hatched out require a temperature level in between 90 and 100 levels, and every week this could be decreased by about 5 degrees or so. The warmth source need to get on just one side of the cage to permit chicks a variety of temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal thermometer- if they are hiding in the contrary edge of your heat lamp, you have to minimize the temperature. If they are smothering each other under the heat (not just cuddling), you should include some heat. House cleaning Sanitation is key as well as it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Be sure to change the bed linen commonly and consistently give clean food as well as water Food as well as water. Chicks grow quite quickly which requires plenty of tidy food and water. Offer enough in any way times and also check typically to prevent parched and hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the first 2 months, then switch to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for one more 2 months, then to a somewhat lower protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to get a running start on taking dust baths, while others will not use up that activity till they are older. If you have the space in your chick unit, introduce a tray of sand or filth for them to shower in. Interest as well as love There are a few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. To start with, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as not escape as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and view their actions, you can capture illness or various other troubles earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or various other harmful indications. Make sure to likewise take a look at their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers and also clogged up cloaca. Finally, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the tiniest chick getting picked on. Vacant nest disorder So your chicks are now completely feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety of your home and also move outside right into a coop. Have a look at our section on chicken cages for more information concerning cages as well as proper cage environments.Baby Chicks Online Baby Chickens Sale
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