A couple of months ago our family decided that we were going to get some baby chicks to raise so we could get fresh organic eggs. We were so excited when we walked into the Tractor Supply Store during their “Chick days” we got 6 baby chicks and everything we needed for starting out. They were kept inside for 6 weeks and grew so big in that short amount of time.
A couple of weeks before they were transitioned outside my husband and I built their chicken coop. It was one that we bought on Ebay that looks really cute like a house for chickens. We had never raised chickens before and a few of our neighbors had told us to watch out for predators that would try to get to the chickens.
I was so naïve and would tell my husband that it’s the city near the ocean where neighbors are all over place and that I have never seen any wildlife at all out here! The only animals I have ever seen was squirrels and seagulls. We’ve lived in the country before and I felt sure that nothing would happen here and with our new cute chicken coop for our chickens they would be fine.
Everything went fine the first night and then the second morning when I went out to let them out of the housing part, one of the chicks were on the outside waiting near the coop door. I found that odd and wondered how he got out and then of course to my horror I saw blood and the other 5 were missing. Something had knocked a board up from underneath and all the chickens had fallen out to the ground. We never did find them that day anywhere and decided we were going to take the one back inside for a while. My husband fixed the board in hopes that it would do the trick in the future. Unfortunately the last chicken was killed as well. We found prints all over the coop which look like to me Racoon prints? Our poor chicken was pulled out from some slats that were up underneath.
Again I was so upset. How could this be happening? We spent so much time and energy into having chickens and to me after raising them that short while I realized that chickens have personalities and they were becoming more of a pet to me then anything. We decided to adopt some more from online because we didn’t find any babies in our area so we got some from mypetchicken.com. They arrived safely and are doing very well. I cannot believe how big they are already!
My husband has put so many locks and has altered the chicken coop that there is no way that anything is getting to my babies again!
If your planning to get baby chicks or have gotten some recently and getting ready to put them outdoors please make sure that the coops is bullet proof per say. Apparently there are some critters out there that are wicked smart and clever and get to your animals if you’re not careful.
Lesson learned here, just because we are in the city doesn’t mean that there isn’t any night-time predators lurking to get to my chickens.
Bonnie is a Business Owner and Blogger. She's a Wife, Momma to 5 kiddos and loves anything that has to do with the outdoors, especially gardening. She started her blog in 2013 to share with others her learning to Live greener experiences, Product , with 5 kiddos, DIY projects, Savings, Recipes and more. Reach her at wemake7blog@gmail.com
Latest posts by WEMAKE7 ()
- April 25, 2016
- April 25, 2016
- April 24, 2016
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading...
Baby Chickens in
Eola, Texas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Eola 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. Eola
Texas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Eola 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 Eola TX.
Baby Chickens And
Baby Ducks in
Eola, Texas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Eola 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
Eola 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 Eola
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 Chickens Outside in
Eola, 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
Eola 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 Eola,
Texas Baby chicks are very
adorable and
hard to withstand,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
right products, however
also the proper
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely need
to give them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
environment A lot of food as well
as water Interest and also
love Environment Your environment can be a basic box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
offer 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 shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and every week this can
be reduced by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource should be on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you should
minimize the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you have to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is crucial and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
often and
consistently provide clean
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which requires plenty of tidy
food and also water. Supply
enough at all times and check
frequently to prevent dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention and also love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
watch their habits, you could
catch illness or other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Make certain to
additionally consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted feathers as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to watch out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and also move outside into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops to find out
more
about cages as well as
appropriate coop environments.
Baby Chicks Order OnlineBaby Chickens As Pets More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Doole, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Coolidge, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Canyon Lake, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Amarillo, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Elmaton, Texas