Recently, with the prices of food rising, especially eggs, we decided that we wanted to make a concentrated effort to raise chickens. I have never had the opportunity to interact with chickens other than in grade school when we hatched baby chickens in incubators, so I knew this would have a steep learning curve. After scouring the internet for sites on the different breeds of chickens, we were pleased to discover which had fairly good descriptions and accompanying pictures.
We decided on four different breeds:
1) Brahma:
2) Delaware:
3) Barred Rock:
and one we’re not sure of. We were told she was a Rhode Island Red (), but now we’re assuming she’s an
4) Ameraucana:
We purchased them at 2 weeks old and they’re about 3 months now. One thing I was not prepared for is that each hen has her own personality and quirks, not unlike a puppy. They are curious about everything and always come up to greet us. We decided to not invest in a rooster since our neighbors are relatively close and our alarm clocks are more than adequate.
Besides eggs and meat, another great benefit to having chickens is that their waste can be composted and used as fertilizer. Since they eat practically anything, they also make great food scrap disposals too!
If any of you decide to acquire your own flock of chickens be certain to buy or build your chicken coup first. Chickens grow amazingly fast and before you know it, they will have outgrown their temporary living arrangements. We decided to build our own coup and let me tell you, they take up a great deal of time. We ended up building a 6′ x 6′ base, covered the floor with linoleum, complete with a triangular based roof of which one side “hatches” open for easy cleaning. The whole coup is on wooden stilts attached to concrete slabs which anchor it to the ground. The chicken door opens up into a large chicken run. Our design was pieced together from several other coup designs that others have posted on the internet.
Have you had experiences with chickens? If so, feel free to comment and share.
Barred Rock and a "We're Not Quite Sure" Hen
Baby Chickens Male Or Female in
Cedar Hill, Tennessee
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Cedar Hill 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. Cedar Hill
Tennessee also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Cedar Hill 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 Cedar Hill TN.
Baby Quail Chicks in
Cedar Hill, Tennessee
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Cedar Hill 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.
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
Cedar Hill 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 Cedar Hill
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 Mail Order in
Cedar Hill, 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
Cedar Hill 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 Cedar Hill,
Tennessee Baby chicks are quite
adorable and also
difficult to stand up to,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
proper products, yet
additionally the correct
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you simply need
to offer them with the following: A tidy and cozy
habitat A lot of food and water Focus as well as
love Environment Your habitat could be an easy box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
newspaper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You additionally require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you need to
provide them with a heat source.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb likewise function effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also weekly this could
be lowered by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The heat resource should get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you should put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is vital and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
usually as well as
always provide clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand extremely quickly
which requires a lot of clean
food and also water. Supply
enough in any way times as well
as check
frequently to avoid parched and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will most
likely bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
enjoy their actions, you can
capture disease or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
also check out
their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted plumes as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to look out
for social problems, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
as well as move outside right into a
coop. Look into our
area on chicken cages to get more information
regarding coops and also
appropriate coop habitats.
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