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 Chickens For Sale Online in
Wiergate, Texas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Wiergate 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. Wiergate
Texas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Wiergate 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 Wiergate TX.
Baby Chickens Outside in
Wiergate, Texas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Wiergate 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
Wiergate 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 Wiergate
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 Information in
Wiergate, 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
Wiergate 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 Wiergate,
Texas Baby chicks are extremely
cute as well as
tough to withstand,
but it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper materials, but
also the proper
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you simply need
to give them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
habitat A lot of food and water Focus and
love Habitat Your habitat could be a basic box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You additionally require
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Also, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
provide them with a warmth source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise function effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to two months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and 100 levels,
and every week this can
be lowered by
about 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource need to get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not merely snuggling),
you have to add some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bedding
often and
constantly provide clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow quite quick
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Supply
enough whatsoever times and examine
commonly to
stop dehydrated and
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not occupy that task till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their actions, you could
capture disease or various
other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
likewise consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Lastly, it is necessary to look out
for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and move outside into a cage. Look into our
part on chicken cages to learn more
about coops and
correct coop environments.
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