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 Care in
Spring City, Utah
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Spring City Utah,
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. Spring City
Utah also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Spring City Utah, 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 Spring City UT.
Baby Chicks By Mail in
Spring City, Utah
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Spring City Utah
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
Spring City Utah * 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 Spring City
Utah * 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 Near Me in
Spring City, Utah
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
Spring City Utah 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 Spring City,
Utah Baby chicks are very
cute and
challenging to withstand,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
right products, yet
likewise the correct
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you just have to offer them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food as well
as water Focus and
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without loose
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using only
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You additionally require
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Also, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
as well as weekly this can
be decreased by
around 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source must be on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your heat
lamp, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply curling up),
you should include some warmth.
House cleaning
Tidiness is crucial and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bedding
commonly and also
constantly offer tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand really quick
which needs a lot of tidy
food and also water. Supply
enough in any way times and check
typically to prevent parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not use up that task till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
view their actions, you can
catch ailment or other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other harmful
indicators. Be sure to
also check out
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken coops for more information
about coops as well as
proper cage environments.
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