In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby Chicks On Sale in
Gillett, Texas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Gillett 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. Gillett
Texas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Gillett 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 Gillett TX.
Baby Chickens Raising in
Gillett, Texas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Gillett 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
Gillett 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 Gillett
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 And
Ducks in
Gillett, 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
Gillett 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 Gillett,
Texas Baby chicks are very
cute as well as
hard to stand up to,
however it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
right products, but
likewise the correct
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you just should give them with the following: A tidy and cozy
habitat Lots of food as well
as water Interest and
love Habitat Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You also require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a warmth source.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also work extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to two months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also weekly this can
be minimized by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource must be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your heat
light, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you should put some heat.
House cleaning
Tidiness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linens
commonly as well as
always supply clean
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow very quick
which requires a lot of clean
food as well as water. Supply
sufficient in any way times as well
as inspect
frequently to avoid thirsty and
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
filth baths, while others will not take
up that task until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Focus as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
watch their habits, you could
catch ailment or various
other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
signs. Make sure to
likewise consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted feathers and clogged up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
and also relocate outside into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages for more information
regarding coops and
appropriate coop habitats.
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