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Baby Chickens for Sale in West Columbia, South Carolina

Baby Chickens for Sale in West Columbia, South Carolina

Brooder Box for baby Chicks: A Tutorial

  • 09/26/2012

Our little darling chicks have arrived!  We ordered from mypetchicken.com and found the selection and service to be excellent.  The chicks shipped super fast and were all healthy and well when they arrived (oh and so soft and cute!).  Our little gal chicks will live in their brooder box for about 4-6 weeks, then transition to their chicken coop outdoors, where they will have free range of our backyard once they are full grown.

Investing in chicks can start to get expensive if you don’t DIY.  I considered just using a large cardboard box to keep them in for those first 4-6 weeks, but all the sources I read about chick care said that a large cardboard box would soon be too small for the growing chicks (and potentially too short as well for when they try flying).  Mypetchicken.com sells a  for $72 shipping; however to save some cash, I decided to copy the idea using left over moving boxes I had laying around.

You will need:

2 Large cardboard boxes of the same size

cutting tool

strong tape (duct tape works)

It’s so simple: cut a side open on the two boxes, open them up and then tape the edges together, folding the bottoms in together so they sort of weave and interlock.  You can choose to tape those inside flaps together for added stability.

Added bonus for this design: when the chicks get bigger and can start jumping and trying to fly, you can fold up the top flaps of the boxes and tape them together to add 5 plus inches to the height of your box – cool!  You can also grab a couple long sticks or dowels and punch holes in the sides of the cardboard to set up roosting perches for the chicks about 1-2 inches off the ground.

To make removing and cleaning the pine bedding easier, I picked up a painters drop cloth at the hardware store for $8, size 5×5, and laid it inside the pen before putting down the  bedding.  This will allow me to wrap up the entire bedding/poop mess inside the drop cloth and carry it out to the compost pile.

Other items needed for our 6 little birds were purchased at a local feed store:

  • $5.50 – buy the large one so you don’t have to buy it later when the birds get bigger and try to knock over a smaller sized one you may have bought at first.  Saves you money and time!
  •  $4
  • 3 cubic feet of compressed  $8
  • 25 lbs  $12
  • From Amazon I purchased a  for $11.20
  • and from Amazon also I purchased a $12

My home-made “package” cost $55.70, compared to the starter kit from mypetchicken.com priced at $72 plus shipping.  As an added bonus, I purchased 5 times as much food, got a larger watering device and a metal feeder instead of plastic.  I also was able to get 20 times as much pine bedding and a much sturdier heatlamp.  I’d say that’s a win!  Plus, I do think my recycled cardboard chick house ended up being larger than the size of the packaged one.

And man, are they cute!  My son loves going in there during the day with me to check on them.

For more information on raising baby chicks, I recommend

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Baby Chickens for Sale in West Columbia 
SC

Baby Chicks Supplies in West Columbia, South Carolina

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in West Columbia South Carolina, 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 Columbia South Carolina also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in West Columbia South Carolina, 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 Columbia SC.

Baby Chicks Near Me in West Columbia, South Carolina

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in West Columbia South Carolina 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 Columbia 
SCTypically 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 Columbia South Carolina * 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 Columbia South Carolina * 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 In The Mail in West Columbia, South Carolina

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 Columbia South Carolina 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 Columbia, South Carolina Baby chicks are really cute and challenging to stand up to, but it's finest to prepare for their arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first by compiling not only the appropriate materials, yet additionally the correct understanding to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is relatively straightforward, you merely need to supply them with the following: A clean and warm habitat A lot of food as well as water Focus and love Habitat Your environment can be a basic box, aquarium, feline service provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also blankets (with no loose strings!) to start, as well as after a couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just newspaper or various other sandal surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand misshapen. You additionally need something to dish out food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar cover for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch into the environment to obtain them trained on setting down. Heat To keep your chicks warm you need to provide them with a warmth resource. This can be as simple as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth light bulb also work extremely well (my suggestion). Chicks need this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is changed with plumes (which can use up to 2 months). The newly hatched need a temperature in between 90 as well as 100 levels, as well as weekly this could be minimized by approximately 5 degrees approximately. The heat source must be on merely one side of the cage to allow chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermostat- if they are concealing in the opposite edge of your warmth light, you have to decrease the temperature level. If they are smothering each various other under the warmth (not just curling up), you should include some heat. House cleaning Tidiness is crucial as well as it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to transform the bed linen usually as well as always provide tidy food and also water Food and water. Chicks expand extremely quick which calls for plenty of clean food and also water. Give enough at all times and check usually to prevent parched and also starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the very first two months, then switch to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for one more 2 months, and afterwards to a somewhat lower protein feed or a level feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to get a head start on taking dust baths, while others will not take up that task up until they are older. If you have the room in your chick unit, introduce a tray of sand or dust for them to bathe in. Interest and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as not escape as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and also watch their behavior, you can capture illness or various other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or other undesirable indicators. Make sure to additionally check out their poop, as diarrhea can lead to matted feathers and also stopped up cloaca. Lastly, it is essential to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are now fully feathered and also its time for them to leave the security of your home and also move outside right into a coop. Check out our area on chicken cages to get more information about coops as well as proper cage environments.
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