Two weeks ago we tried out a family dog. Scott has always wanted a dog so when the local animal shelter called us and said they had a great family dog, we gave it a try. He was a great dog in every way, half golden retriever and half lab, already house trained, great on a leash, however he really wanted to eat our chickens and cats. No really, he really did want to eat them. We saved the cats from near misses twice, however we weren’t so lucky with the hens. One lovely Sunday morning we were all outside enjoying the fine weather when all of a sudden one of our chickens, Sally jumped over her highly fenced ‘free range’ area and into the backyard….right in front of the dog. He quickly grabbed her and ran, feathers flew everywhere. We were screaming, the chicken was screaming and the dog was running all over the yard with her. We finally got him away from her, but when we found her, we feared for the worst. All the feathers were pulled off her back and there were about five deep, two inch long gashes where his teeth had been.
I guess had we been real chicken farmers we would have put her down right then and there, but instead we thought we’d give her the night to see if Sally could make it. After our adrenaline had calmed down we picked her up and put Neosporin on her cuts, something a vet had advised us to do for another chicken cut a few years back. Then we put her in a small bathroom that rarely ever gets used, gave the poor girl some food and water and a box full of hay and let her have the night to heal. And she made it! We left her in there for about four nights and the sweet thing even laid a couple of eggs. Slowly we started bringing her outside, watching her carefully to keep the flies off of her (because if flies get wind of a fresh chicken cut they will lay there eggs there and the – super gross!). We eventually put her with the other chickens and made sure they didn’t peck at her and now she is fully back with her gals. We call her Sally the Miracle Chicken now. We did decide after some soul searching that right now our priority is with our first pets, the cats and hens, so the dog went back (and he’s already found a good new home!).
As consolation for our two young sons, we got some new baby chicks. Aren’t they cute? A and two to add some blue into our brown egg mix.
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Baby Chicks Buy in
Decatur, Tennessee
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Decatur 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. Decatur
Tennessee also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Decatur 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 Decatur TN.
Baby Chickens in
Decatur, Tennessee
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Decatur 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
Decatur 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 Decatur
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 Supplies in
Decatur, 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
Decatur 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 Decatur,
Tennessee Baby chicks are quite
adorable and also
hard to resist,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not only the
appropriate materials, but
additionally the correct
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you just should provide them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
habitat A lot of food and also water Attention and
love Habitat Your habitat could be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally need
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Additionally, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you need to
give them with a heat source.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function extremely well (my
referral). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also weekly this can
be minimized by
roughly 5 degrees approximately. The heat source ought
to be on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not merely snuggling),
you should add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
often and
constantly offer tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quick
which calls for a lot of clean
food as well as water. Give
sufficient in any way times as well
as examine
typically to prevent parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't use up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will probably bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
view their behavior, you can
capture disease or other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
other harmful
indications. Make certain to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
as well as move outside into a cage. Check out our
section on chicken coops to find out
more
about cages as well as
correct cage environments.
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