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 Chicks To Buy in
Floresville, Texas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Floresville 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. Floresville
Texas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Floresville 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 Floresville TX.
Baby
Chicks Order in
Floresville, Texas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Floresville 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
Floresville 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 Floresville
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 Habitat in
Floresville, 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
Floresville 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 Floresville,
Texas Baby chicks are really
cute and also
challenging to stand up to,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
appropriate materials, yet
likewise the appropriate
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you merely need
to offer them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food as well
as water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your habitat could be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the environment to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a heat source.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to 2 months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and weekly this could
be minimized by
approximately 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource must be on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you should
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you need to add some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
frequently and
constantly offer clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow really quick
which requires plenty of tidy
food and water. Offer
enough whatsoever times and also check
typically to avoid thirsty as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
view their behavior, you can
capture ailment or other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
indications. Make certain to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted plumes and also blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
as well as move outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
part on chicken cages for more information
regarding cages and also
proper cage environments.
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