Baby Chickens for Sale in Thompson, Pennsylvania
Baby Chickens for Sale in Thompson, Pennsylvania
10 Things You Must Know BEFORE Getting Chickens [Guest Post]
Happy New Year, Little Blog on the Homestead Readers! If one of your goals for 2015 is to get some backyard chickens, you’re in luck. Today I’m sharing my Top 10 things you need to know BEFORE you get chickens. There are many things I wish I would have known about raising chickens before I dove in head first, so this is my way of “paying it forward” and helping you get off to a better start than I did.
My name is Sarah and I’m from Western South Dakota. I blog at Grounded & Surrounded with my best friend Sammi. Last year, my family moved out to 13 acres in the country so we could pursue a more grounded lifestyle. I love to garden, , and am trying to convince my husband that we REALLY need goats (he isn’t budging yet, but I am persistent!).
I cannot tell you how excited I am to write this post for you today. I have had so much fun raising my little flock of chickens, and I am blown away by how easy and rewarding it has been. I am so thankful to Nicole for sharing her audience with me; because “” understand how exciting it can be to raise an animal that provides healthy and nutritious food for your family.
Are you ready for a crash course in raising chickens? Here are 10 Things I wish I would have known the day my chicks arrived in the mail (Yes! They mail chicks! I ordered mine ).
- You would be CRAZY not to LOVE raising chickens: I was so nervous about this at the beginning. I was worried I would go through all the work and hate having chickens around. Don’t worry, honey; chickens are the best “pets” you will ever have!
- There are so many breeds to choose from: I have 7 different breeds in my flock. I say variety is the spice of life, mix it up if you can! People are so impressed by how beautiful my flock is, and it is easy to remember all of their names when they are all unique.
- It is hard to (accidentally) kill a baby chick: Another concern for me since I have young children, and they have lots of little friends. It took me a while to realize that it was absolutely OK to let the kids hold the baby chicks, they aren’t as fragile as they seem.
- It is difficult to tell the sex of a day old-chick: We ordered 15 females, we received 14 females and 1 very feisty male. So don’t be surprised if you end up with a male, and have a contingency plan in place (especially if you have ordinances to consider). We didn’t know for sure he was a rooster for at least 8-10 weeks.
- Prep the Garage: We originally had our babies in the basement, which was perfect for the first few weeks. But once they start to grow and get their feathers, you will want to have a “transition” home set up for them. Something bigger than the brooder, but smaller and warmer than their coop.
- Chickens are funny: Again, something I never knew. Chickens are the most entertaining animal in the world. When you raise them up from babies, they grow up to love and trust you. Some nights our planned entertainment is hanging out with the chickens. Weird, I know!
- You can train your chickens: I remember when my chickens were “teenagers”, I used to have to chase them around to try to catch them and get them into their coop at night. But NO MORE! Those chickens follow me everywhere, and they are super easy to catch.
- Make sure your coop is built for your climate: It can get to be -20 in the wintertime here. We have had to modify our coop about 3 times to make sure it was warm enough for the girls. It would have been a lot easier to build it correctly from the beginning!
- Finding organic chicken feed can be difficult: There is nowhere in my town to purchase a bag of organic chicken feed. I was absolutely shocked to discover this. I order my from Azure Standard. If you live in a smaller town, you may be forced to order your feed too.
- Family chickens or the family dog: Our dog Oreo loves chickens. A BIT TOO MUCH! After I nearly lost my favorite chicken when Oreo decided to “play” with her, I had to choose between the dog and the chickens. You might find yourself in a similar situation at some point. Do what I did, choose the chickens! Oreo is now happily living next door with my parents.
I am so excited to see how to get her own Backyard Chickens turns out. And I hope you will take the leap too if you haven’t already (and chickens are allowed where you live). If you want to see more pictures of my beautiful chickens (among other things), be sure to follow me on.
Sarah Koontz is a stay-at-home mother of 2 beautiful little girls. She is passionate about writing, and loves sharing her advice and experiences with anyone who will listen. She has a blog with her best friend Sammi at where they write about all things Healthy! Heart, Home, & Habits. Find Sarah on , and .
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Baby Chickens Hatchery in Thompson, Pennsylvania
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Thompson 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. Thompson Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Thompson 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 Thompson PA.Baby Chickens Habitat in Thompson, Pennsylvania
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Thompson 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
Thompson 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 Thompson
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 Thompson, 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 Thompson 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 Thompson, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are really charming and hard to withstand, however it's ideal to prepare for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first by gathering not just the correct products, yet additionally the correct expertise to care for them. Raising baby chicks is fairly simple, you simply should give them with the following: A clean and cozy environment Plenty of food and also water Focus and also love Environment Your environment could be a basic box, aquarium, feline provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (without any loose strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid utilizing only paper or various other slipper surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand malformed. You additionally need something to dish out food and also water in, such as a chicken feeder and water meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar cover for food and a family pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch into the environment to get them trained on perching. Heat To maintain your chicks warm you have to provide them with a warmth resource. This can be as basic as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb additionally work effectively (my suggestion). Chicks need this heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is changed with plumes (which could take up to two months). The recently hatched need a temperature in between 90 and 100 degrees, and each week this could be decreased by around 5 levels approximately. The heat source should be on just one side of the cage to allow 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 should minimize the temperature level. If they are surrounding each various other under the heat (not simply cuddling), you should include some warmth. Home cleaning Cleanliness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform the bedding often and constantly offer clean food and also water Food as well as water. Chicks grow really quickly which needs lots of tidy food and also water. Supply enough at all times as well as check typically to prevent parched as well as starving chicks. Chick food is different compared to grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the initial 2 months, after that switch over to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for an additional 2 months, and then to a somewhat reduced protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity up until they are older. If you have the space in your chick enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or dust for them to wash in. Attention as well as love There are a few advantages to hanging out with your chicks. First off, they will most likely bond with you and also not run away as grownups. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and also watch their actions, you could catch disease or various other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or other unhealthy indications. Make certain to additionally check out their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted plumes and clogged cloaca. Finally, it is very important to watch out for social problems, such as the littlest chick getting picked on. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are now totally feathery and its time for them to leave the safety of your house and also relocate outside into a cage. Take a look at our part on chicken cages to learn more about coops as well as correct cage environments.Baby Chickens Mail Baby Chickens As Pets
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