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
Raising Baby Quail Chicks in
Waco, Texas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Waco 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. Waco
Texas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Waco 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 Waco TX.
Baby Chickens How To Care For Them in
Waco, Texas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Waco 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
Waco 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 Waco
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 As
Pets in
Waco, 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
Waco 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 Waco,
Texas Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
hard to stand up to,
but it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
appropriate materials, but
additionally the correct
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you simply should supply them with the following: A tidy and also warm
habitat A lot of food as well
as water Attention and also
love Environment Your environment could be a straightforward box, aquarium,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, as well as 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
misshapen. You additionally need
something to dish out 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 a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet store. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you should
offer them with a warmth source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
as well as every week this can
be minimized by
approximately 5 degrees approximately. The warmth source ought
to get on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you should
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you should add some heat.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to change
the bedding
frequently and also
consistently provide clean
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand really quick
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Supply
sufficient at all times and also examine
typically to prevent dehydrated and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
enjoy their behavior, you can
catch health problem or various
other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted plumes and stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to watch out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages to find out
more
regarding cages as well as
proper cage environments.
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