Baby Chickens for Sale in Belton, Texas
Baby Chickens for Sale in Belton, Texas
How to Raise Chickens: #3 Selecting Chickens
How to Raise Chickens: #3 Selecting Chickens
April 9, 2014 in by
Chickens are social birds and really need to have at least one friend, so count on starting with a minimum of two. Having multiple birds will also help them keep each other warm in the winter time. So, how many should you get? I read somewhere that two hens per family member is a good guideline. By their rule, if you have a family of 5, that would mean 10 hens. But also keep in mind that young hens can lay one egg every 1-2 days during the warm months. That means you could have 35-70 eggs in one week’s time! That’s quite a few eggs. Now you can freeze eggs, cook or bake items that use eggs and freeze those, but you still should take that into consideration when deciding how many. Personally if we were to start again, I would go with 5-8 hens. This coming from the family that currently has 18 hens … but we’re also selling quite a few eggs.
We’ve never gotten eggs for incubation, so I can’t offer any advice on how to start there.
Our chickens have always come as baby chicks. There are two ways I know of to get chickens this way – buy them local or find an online source. I’m pretty sure our local Blaine’s Farm & Fleet has chickens each spring. Selection would be limited but you should find only those breeds suited to your area.
We’ve had good luck ordering from Murray McMurray Hatchery. They have a wide array of breeds and you can find some good deals (which is how we ended up ordering 45 birds the first time!). The downside to mail-ordering birds is there is usually a minimum number you have to order so they can keep each other warm in the box during the few days they are being shipped. And yes, they do actually come via US Postal Service. The post office knows how to handle them so they get to you in time. There’s always a risk of chicks not surviving the shipping process. We lost one last year when we ordered again. Sometimes hatcheries will take that into consideration and throw in an extra bird just in case (but don’t count on it). Let them know if a bird doesn’t survive – they may give you a refund or discount if it’s within 24-48 hrs of arrival.
If you get baby chicks instead of full-grown hens, keep in mind that you will need to keep them warm … like 90-95°F warm the first few weeks of their lives. This requires a heat lamp or some other heat source, and a “brooder” area where you can make sure they are draft-free. This area could be inside your existing coop (if there aren’t hens in there already), but you’ll want to contain them in a smaller size to make sure they stay warm. As the weeks pass you can move the heat lamp up, reducing the temperature by 5-degrees per week until they’re ready to go outside.
You could also check out local sites like Craigslist as there might be some people that received full-grown chickens can no longer keep them.
There are a multitude of choices for chicken breeds out there. You can get
- great egg-producers
- dual-purpose breeds (if you intend to eat your birds later)
- breeds that are cold-hardy
- “fancy” birds with amazing plumage, aka ornamentals
- rare breeds – some of which are endangered.
and have great listings of chicken breeds to help you sort it out.
For our location, we wanted to make sure our chickens would be cold-hardy. We also wanted fairly good layers, so most of our hens are either Speckled Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. We also had good luck with Buff Orpingtons. Opal is our one remaining Silver-Laced Wyandotte from the first batch.
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Baby Chickens How To Care in Belton, Texas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Belton Texas, 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. Belton Texas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Belton Texas, 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 Belton TX.Baby Chickens in Belton, Texas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Belton Texas 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
Belton Texas * 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 Belton
Texas * 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 Male in Belton, Texas
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 Belton Texas 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 Belton, Texas Baby chicks are extremely cute as well as challenging to resist, however it's finest to prepare for their arrival before you get them. Prepare initially by compiling not just the correct products, yet additionally the correct knowledge to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly straightforward, you simply have to offer them with the following: A clean and warm environment A lot of food and water Interest as well as love Habitat Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank, feline carrier, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also coverings (with no loose strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid using just paper or various other sandal surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow malformed. You likewise require something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container cover for food as well as a family pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch right into the habitat to get them trained on perching. Heat To keep your chicks heat you should supply them with a warmth source. This could be as simple as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat bulb also function very well (my recommendation). Chicks require this warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is replaced with plumes (which can occupy to 2 months). The recently hatched out require a temperature level between 90 as well as 100 levels, and also weekly this could be reduced by approximately 5 levels or so. The heat source need to be on simply one side of the cage to allow chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are concealing in the opposite corner of your heat lamp, you should lower the temperature. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not simply snuggling), you have to put some heat. Housekeeping Tidiness is vital and also it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make sure to transform the bed linen often as well as consistently offer clean food and also water Food and water. Chicks grow extremely fast which calls for lots of tidy food as well as water. Give sufficient in any way times as well as check often to avoid dehydrated and also starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the first 2 months, then switch to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, and after that to a somewhat reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want to obtain a running start on taking dirt baths, while others won't take up that task until they are older. If you have the room in your chick room, present a tray of sand or dust for them to shower in. Focus and love There are a few benefits to hanging out with your chicks. Firstly, they will more than likely bond with you and not escape as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and also view their habits, you could capture health problem or other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or other unhealthy signs. Make certain to also look at their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers as well as stopped up cloaca. Last but not least, it is important to watch out for social problems, such as the smallest chick getting picked on. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are currently completely feathery and its time for them to leave the safety of your home and also relocate outside into a coop. Take a look at our part on chicken cages to read more about cages and also appropriate coop environments.Baby Chicks In A Box Baby Chicks House
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