Baby Chickens for Sale in Callaway, Virginia
Baby Chickens for Sale in Callaway, Virginia
Backyard Chickens: How we got started
Our family has had backyard chickens since the spring of 2010. It has been a great joy to have a working flock of chickens in our backyard – right in the middle of the big city. We have learned a lot, and these fun, working pets have been worth the time and energy invested.
My wife holding a baby chick.
We started with 4 chicks from a local breeder. The chicks were just a few days old and they were so much fun to watch. We set up a brooding box in the office area of our house. (Chicks have to stay warm until they ‘feather out.’) One of our chicks turned out to be a rooster so I returned that chick to the breeder and wound up with 2 hens of similar age to the others. Our first five chickens were Penny, Oreo, Clementine, Hatty and Nana. (When you have small children, chickens get named.) You can see all 5 girls in the photo at the beginning of this post.
Our chicken coop on a foggy morning.
I built the chicken coop after looking at a variety of ideas online. The type of coop I decided on is called a “chicken tractor.” It was designed to be moved around the yard so the chickens could enjoy fresh grass and dirt to scratch in. The coop is approximately 4′ wide and about 10′ long. The chickens can roam the entire length and width of the coop since the roost box is elevated. I will talk about a few things I learned about coop design, including my favorite feature, in a future post.
Owning backyard chickens has been very enjoyable for our family, but I would not say it is for everyone. Simply stated, not everyone can deal with chicken poop, brooding chickens, and a fewother things. Other than that, chickens are low-cost, entertaining and educational pets. When we had 5 hens our chickens were eating about $20 of feed a month. At their peak, the 5 hens were laying a total of 3-4 eggs a day. Approximately 25 eggs a week. The eggs are some of the best you will ever eat. The yolks are dark yellow, almost orange. You won’t save money or make money with backyard chickens, but the educational and entertainment aspects balance things out nicely.
Raising chickens hasn’t been without its sad moments. In the summer of 2011 we lost 2 of the girls to the heat. They were both Buff Oprington breed of chickens. It was a hard, hot summer. We used shade, a fan at night, and mist during the day to try to keep them cooled off. (We had a month long stretch of 100+ days here in Texas.)
Spring 2012 we purchased 2 pullets (10 week old hens) and added them to the flock after they matured a bit. In the Fall of 2012 some irresponsible pet owners down the street allowed their dogs to escape. The dogs chewed their way into the coop and killed 4 of our 5 chickens. Oreo is our strong survivor that outsmarted the 2 big dogs and survived a nasty dog bite.
Our girls now reside inside their coop which is inside a 12′x12′ dog kennel. I figure if a kennel is supposed to keep dogs in, it can also keep them out. The only draw back is that the chicken tractor must now stay in one place. As an added bonus they get to run around in the extra space of the kennel when we are home and will be in and out of the backyard. All of our chickens are friendly. We haven’t had any problems having small children and chickens.
I think the chickens are interesting and many of our friends would agree. I often get asked, “How are your chickens?” We have even taken one of the chickens to our daughter’s preschool for pet day. When we had a full flock it was also fun to give away eggs as gifts and to let our oldest daughter sell the eggs for $2 a dozen. Many, many friends have also been kind enough to give us their empty egg cartons for our eggs.
If you’re thinking about backyard chickens, take these few things into consideration:- Does your city allow chickens? Not all cities do. – Will your neighbors be OK with the clucking and occasional stink? – Are you prepared for the work of keeping a small flock?
Best of luck, and leave any questions in the comments section.
Baby Chickens For Sale Online in Callaway, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Callaway Virginia, 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. Callaway Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Callaway Virginia, 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 Callaway VA.Baby Chicks Diet in Callaway, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Callaway Virginia 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
Callaway Virginia * 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 Callaway
Virginia * 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 How To Care For Them in Callaway, Virginia
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 Callaway Virginia 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 Callaway, Virginia Baby chicks are really adorable as well as difficult to stand up to, however it's best to prepare for their arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially by compiling not just the proper products, but additionally the correct knowledge to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is relatively straightforward, you simply need to provide them with the following: A clean as well as cozy environment Lots of food and water Attention and also love Environment Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank, feline carrier, or guinea pig cage. Line it with old towels and blankets (with no loose strings!) to start, and after a couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid utilizing only paper or various other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You also need something to dish out food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from an animal store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch into the environment to obtain them trained on perching. Heat To keep your chicks warm you should supply them with a warmth source. This could be as easy as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb likewise work extremely well (my referral). Chicks need this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which can take up to 2 months). The recently hatched out need a temperature level between 90 as well as 100 degrees, and also every week this could be minimized by about 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource need to get on simply one side of the cage to permit chicks an array of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermometer- if they are hiding in the opposite corner of your heat light, you have to minimize the temperature level. If they are surrounding each various other under the warmth (not merely snuggling), you need to put some heat. Home cleaning Cleanliness is vital as well as it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Be sure to change the bed linens typically and constantly offer tidy food and also water Food and water. Chicks grow quite quickly which needs plenty of tidy food and water. Offer enough at all times as well as examine typically to prevent parched as well as starving chicks. Chick food is different compared to grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the very first two months, after that switch over to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, and then to a slightly reduced protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking dirt baths, while others will not use up that task until they are older. If you have the space in your chick enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or dirt for them to shower in. Attention and also love There are a few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you and also not run away as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily and view their behavior, you could capture illness or other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or various other undesirable signs. Make sure to likewise check out their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted feathers as well as clogged cloaca. Last but not least, it is essential to look out for social problems, such as the smallest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are currently totally feathery and also its time for them to leave the safety and security of your home and also move outside into a coop. Check out our part on chicken cages to find out more regarding coops as well as appropriate coop habitats.Baby Chickens Hatching Baby Chickens Near Me
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