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Baby Chickens for Sale in Williamson, Pennsylvania

Baby Chickens for Sale in Williamson, Pennsylvania

How to Introduce New Chickens into your Flock, part 2

[This article is part of a series that addresses the question of how to introduce new chickens into your existing flock, along with several related questions. To see all articles in this series, visit .]

Disease and Parasites

When you introduce new chickens to your flock, you run the risk of also introducing new diseases or parasites to your flock. If you take your chickens to poultry shows, then you run that same risk when you reintroduce chickens that were taken to the show back into your main flock.

Quarantine

The best and most effective way to protect your flock from diseases introduced by new chickens is to quarantine them. When you quarantine a chicken or several chickens, you keep them separate from the rest of the flock for an extended time period.  We recommend a quarantine of at least 30 days.

During the quarantine, care for the quarantined chickens normally, giving them food and water, but do not allow any contact with the existing flock.  Thoroughly wash your hands and disinfect your feet and anything else that comes in contact with these chickens or their environment or manure. We carry several that work well.

While the chickens are in quarantine, watch them closely for any signs of parasites, such as mites, and for any signs of disease, such as respiratory problems, or mucus discharges from the chickens’ eyes or nostrils.

Another Precaution

Chickens in a flock can build up an immunity to a disease yet still be carriers of that disease.  If your new chickens have such an immunity and are disease carriers, the quarantine described above won’t be enough, and the new chickens could still introduce disease into your flock undetected.

There is a way to guard against this. It involves a little risk, but it minimizes the risk of infecting the main flock.  Take one chicken from your main flock and move it into the quarantine with the new birds.  Keep that chicken with your other quarantined birds for the entire quarantine period.  Watch her closely.  If she begins to develop any signs of disease, it is likely that she was infected by the new birds, so in that case, do not introduce the new birds into the flock.  On the other hand, if she makes it through the quarantine period without any signs of disease, then you can be reasonably sure that it is safe to introduce her and the new birds into your flock.

With this approach, you run the risk of losing one chicken from your main flock to disease, but you greatly reduce the risk of losing your entire flock.

Baby Chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery

Murray McMurray Hatchery takes a to make sure that any baby chicks you receive from us are healthy and free of disease.  This eliminates any concern you may have about the baby chicks introducing disease to your existing flock, but there are still some things to consider.

Baby chicks are not able to defend themselves against larger, more mature chickens, so they should be raised separately until they reach maturity. Second, if you have any concerns about disease or parasites in your existing flock, take proper precautions to make sure that you don’t risk introducing it to your new chickens.

In next week’s article, I will discuss how to integrate the new chickens into your existing flock.

 

Baby Chickens for Sale in Williamson 
PA

Baby Chicks Habitat in Williamson, Pennsylvania

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

Baby Chicks On Sale in Williamson, Pennsylvania

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Williamson 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 Williamson 
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 Williamson 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 Williamson 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 Black in Williamson, 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 Williamson 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 Williamson, Pennsylvania Baby chicks are very adorable as well as challenging to withstand, however it's ideal to plan for their arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially by collecting not only the correct materials, but also the appropriate expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly straightforward, you just should provide them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable environment A lot of food as well as water Interest and also love Habitat Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank, cat provider, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as coverings (without loose strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just paper or various other slipper surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow misshapen. You likewise need something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container lid for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch into the environment to get them educated on setting down. Heat To maintain your chicks warm you have to offer them with a warmth source. This can be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat bulb likewise function effectively (my suggestion). Chicks need this warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which could occupy to two months). The newly hatched out need a temperature level between 90 and 100 levels, as well as weekly this could be decreased by about 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource need to be on merely one side of the cage to allow chicks a range of temperatures. The chicks are your best thermometer- if they are concealing in the opposite corner of your warmth light, you have to minimize the temperature. If they are smothering each other under the warmth (not merely curling up), you have to put some heat. Housekeeping Sanitation is crucial as well as it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Be sure to transform the bed linen frequently and also always give tidy food and water Food and water. Chicks grow very quickly which requires lots of clean food and also water. Supply sufficient at all times and check often to prevent dehydrated as well as starving chicks. Chick food is different compared to grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the very first two months, then change to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for another 2 months, and after that to a somewhat reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want to get a head start on taking dust bathrooms, while others will not use up that task until they are older. If you have the area in your chick enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or filth for them to bathe in. Interest and also love There are a few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will most likely bond with you as well as not flee as grownups. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and watch their behavior, you can capture illness or other troubles earlier. Keep an eye out for wheezing, hopping, or other unhealthy indications. Make sure to additionally look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted feathers as well as clogged cloaca. Lastly, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the smallest chick obtaining picked on. Vacant nest disorder So your chicks are currently totally feathery and its time for them to leave the security of your house and move outside into a cage. Take a look at our area on chicken cages to read more about cages and appropriate coop environments.
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