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Baby Chickens for Sale in West Chester, Pennsylvania

Baby Chickens for Sale in West Chester, Pennsylvania

Easy DIY Chicken Brooder Box

Easy DIY Chicken Brooder Box

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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!

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Baby Chickens for Sale in West Chester 
PA

Baby Chickens Names in West Chester, Pennsylvania

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in West Chester 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. West Chester Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in West Chester 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 West Chester PA.

Baby Chicks And Ducks For Sale in West Chester, Pennsylvania

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in West Chester 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in West Chester 
PATypically 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 West Chester 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 West Chester 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 Chicks Hatchery in West Chester, 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 West Chester 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 West Chester, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are extremely charming as well as tough to resist, yet it's best to prepare for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially by gathering not just the correct products, but also the proper expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is relatively basic, you simply should supply them with the following: A clean as well as cozy environment A lot of food as well as water Focus as well as love Environment Your habitat could be a simple box, fish tank, cat provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as blankets (without any loose strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks utilize straw over paper. Note: Avoid utilizing only paper or other sandal surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand misshapen. You also require something to provide food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch right into the environment to get them trained on perching. Warmth To keep your chicks warm you have to supply them with a warmth resource. This can be as simple as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth bulb likewise work effectively (my recommendation). Chicks need this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which could use up to 2 months). The newly hatched need a temperature level between 90 as well as 100 degrees, and each week this can be reduced by approximately 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource must get on just one side of the cage to enable chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your best thermostat- if they are hiding in the contrary corner of your warmth lamp, you have to decrease the temperature level. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not simply curling up), you have to put some heat. Housekeeping Tidiness is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to alter the bed linens frequently and also constantly give clean food and also water Food and water. Chicks grow really fast which needs lots of tidy food and water. Supply sufficient whatsoever times and inspect often to avoid thirsty and also hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the initial two months, after that switch over to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for one more 2 months, and afterwards to a slightly reduced protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that task till they are older. If you have the area in your chick room, introduce a tray of sand or dirt for them to wash in. Focus as well as love There are a few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will probably bond with you and not run away as grownups. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and watch their behavior, you could catch health problem or various other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or other undesirable indications. Make sure to likewise look at their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted feathers and stopped up cloaca. Lastly, it is essential to look out for social problems, such as the littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are currently totally feathered and its time for them to leave the security of your house and also relocate outside into a cage. Check out our area on chicken coops to learn more concerning cages and also appropriate coop habitats.
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