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Baby Chickens for Sale in Bells, Tennessee

Baby Chickens for Sale in Bells, Tennessee

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 Bells 
TN

Baby Chickens For Sale Free Shipping in Bells, Tennessee

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Bells Tennessee, 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. Bells Tennessee also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Bells Tennessee, 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 Bells TN.

Baby Quail Chicks For Sale in Bells, Tennessee

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Bells Tennessee 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 Bells 
TNTypically 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 Bells Tennessee * 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 Bells Tennessee * 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 Facts in Bells, Tennessee

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 Bells Tennessee 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 Bells, Tennessee Baby chicks are very cute and challenging to resist, but it's best to plan for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially by gathering not just the proper materials, however additionally the appropriate understanding to care for them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably simple, you simply should provide them with the following: A tidy and cozy habitat Plenty of food and water Focus and love Environment Your environment could be a basic box, fish tank, pet cat carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and blankets (without loosened strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over paper. Note: Avoid making use of only paper or various other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow malformed. You also need something to provide food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and water recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch into the habitat to obtain them educated on perching. Heat To keep your chicks heat you should provide them with a heat source. This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb additionally function extremely well (my suggestion). Chicks require this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which can occupy to 2 months). The freshly hatched out need a temperature between 90 and 100 degrees, and weekly this could be minimized by roughly 5 levels or so. The heat source need to get on merely one side of the cage to permit chicks an array of temperature levels. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are hiding in the other corner of your heat lamp, you have to lower the temperature level. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not just cuddling), you have to put some heat. Housekeeping Cleanliness is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform the bedding often and also always give clean food and also water Food as well as water. Chicks grow quite fast which calls for plenty of tidy food as well as water. Offer enough at all times as well as examine usually to stop thirsty and starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the initial two months, after that change to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, and then to a somewhat lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want to obtain a head start on taking filth baths, while others won't take 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. Focus and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as not run away as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and also enjoy their habits, you can catch illness or other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or other harmful indicators. Make certain to likewise consider their poop, as looseness of the bowels could lead to matted plumes and obstructed cloaca. Last but not least, it is necessary to look out for social concerns, such as the tiniest chick getting badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are currently fully feathery and its time for them to leave the security of your house and also relocate outside right into a cage. Look into our area on chicken coops to learn more about coops as well as proper coop habitats.
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