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Baby Chickens for Sale in Cheriton, Virginia

Baby Chickens for Sale in Cheriton, Virginia

Chickens Should Come With Warning Labels

Two years ago, Adam and I began to discuss having backyard chickens.

We read a lot, watched a lot of YouTube videos, and learned so much.

A couple of the reasons that we finally decided to give it a go were that their composted droppings are great for gardens and that they are pretty easy to take care of.

We have found both of those reasons to be very true.

However, we also have learned a lot since owning our little flock of hens that we never found in our research.

Based on what I have learned as the owner of backyard chickens, I have decided that backyard chickens need to come with Warning Labels.

If you are thinking of getting chickens or already have baby chicks… prepare yourself.

Photo by Hive and Honey Photography

Warning #1: People will think you have gone insane.

We have had people have no problem telling us everything from “Eww, what about the poop?” To “Why work so hard?” To, plain and simple, “You are making a huge mistake.”

(I mean… What if people said these things about babies??)

And that’s from the people in the country… People who have actually seen a chicken outside of a petting zoo or a kitchen decoration.

Where I grew up, the HOA allowed only two dogs and two cats per household. Max. Chickens were not a topic of discussion.

Just imagine what the people I grew up with must think if they have heard that over fifty chickens have called my backyard home at one time.

In-sane.

Warning #2: You may be the sweetest person on the planet, but you will become incredibly stuck up.

No one really talks about it, but I think it’s very common for owners of backyard chickens to suffer from a phenomenon called “egg snobbery.”

On your business trip you will cringe at the site of the scrambled eggs made from egg beaters at the hotel’s very generic continental breakfast.

You will turn up your nose as you walk down the egg aisle at the grocery store knowing that your eggs at home are far superior.

And, when someone Instagrams a shot of their homemade brunch with two very sad sunny side up eggs with shapeless and dull colored yolks you will smirk and say sarcastically to yourself, “That’s cute…

Warning #3: You will also become a paranoid freak.

I don’t have children, but, thanks to the chickens, I have gotten a sneak peak of what parenthood is all about.

Spoiler Alert: It’s a 24/7/365 anxiety attack.

Any threat of bad weather, be it extreme cold, snow, high winds, tornadoes, extreme heat, whatever, my mind goes to the hens… and that they are going to die.

Any dog, cat, raccoon, and owl within a two mile radius of the coop is the enemy.

I am sorry. I don’t care how cute your dog is. I probably hate it until I know that it doesn’t think my sweet hens are a chew toy.

PS- Just today I heard on the radio that a six foot boa constrictor escaped from it’s cage and is on the loose somewhere in the local listening area.

You guys... HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS!?!?

Warning #4: Anything pop culture will suddenly become very uninteresting.

That check you write to the cable company each month will seem like a huge waste.  

You haven’t been Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s… You have been Keeping Up with the Chickens.

The day you bring them home you will begin to see each chicken’s unique personality.

And as they grow, you would rather spend your time watching them roam the yard than watch that movie getting Oscar Buzz.  The movie could be a flop.  But, watching the chickens you might catch that hilarious moment when one might slurp up a huge worm like a piece of spaghetti and the others come rushing over in a fit of jealousy.  Somebody call the Academy!

Oh.  And, you will post things like this on Facebook and it will be 100% true:

Warning #5: Once you get that first chick, you will be a chicken owner the rest of your life.

Admittedly, I have never been a huge fan of animals.

In fact, as a kid, animals made me kind of nervous.

My uncle loves to tell the story of when I was a toddler… my foot was dangling by my moms hip as she held me and his weimaraner licked my foot. I apparently screamed like bloody murder and was convinced that the dog bit me.

(To my credit, a weimaraner to a three year old might as well be a fierce looking horse.)

As an adult, and thanks to a fabulous (thirty pound…) family dog in my childhood, I have warmed up to animals.

I am really excited for the day that we get a dog.  And I understand that to make Adam happy this dog will be larger than thirty pounds… and I am okay with that.

Because we have enjoyed our dabbles in homesteading, we have been talking about getting a couple cows and even pigs just to give it a try.

Dogs will likely come and go, depending on our future children wants, and we may find other kinds of livestock exhausting.

But, thanks to the wonderful eggs…

The funny way the ladies interact with one another…

The way it feels like they are able to almost communicate with Adam and me when we are in the garden…

The pure joy in any of our friend’s kids faces when they are chasing the hens…

The joy that I cannot wait to see in my own children… and grandchildren’s faces…  

I know that for the rest of my life, I will be the proud owner of a flock of backyard chickens.

Photo by Hive and Honey Photography

You have been warned.

Baby Chickens for Sale in Cheriton 
VA

Baby Chickens Sale in Cheriton, Virginia

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Cheriton 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. Cheriton Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Cheriton 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 Cheriton VA.

Raising Baby Quail Chicks in Cheriton, Virginia

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Cheriton 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Cheriton 
VATypically 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 Cheriton 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 Cheriton 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 Chicks Baby Chickens in Cheriton, 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 Cheriton 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 Cheriton, Virginia Baby chicks are really charming as well as hard to withstand, but it's finest to prepare for their arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first by collecting not only the proper products, but also the proper expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly easy, you simply have to provide them with the following: A clean as well as warm environment A lot of food and water Focus as well as love Environment Your environment can be a straightforward box, aquarium, cat service provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also coverings (without any loose strings!) to start, and after a few weeks utilize straw over paper. Note: Avoid making use of just paper or various other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow malformed. You likewise require something to dish out food and also water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch right into the environment to obtain them educated on setting down. Warmth To keep your chicks warm you have to supply them with a heat resource. This can be as basic as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth light bulb additionally work extremely well (my recommendation). Chicks require this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is replaced with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The recently hatched out require a temperature in between 90 and also 100 degrees, and every week this could be lowered by around 5 levels or so. The warmth resource must be on just one side of the cage to allow chicks a variety of temperatures. The chicks are your ideal thermometer- if they are concealing in the opposite corner of your heat light, you should minimize the temperature. If they are surrounding each various other under the warmth (not just cuddling), you have to add some warmth. Home cleaning Cleanliness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to transform the bed linen usually as well as constantly supply clean food as well as water Food and also water. Chicks expand extremely quick which requires plenty of tidy food and water. Offer sufficient in any way times as well as inspect usually to prevent parched and also starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the very first two months, then change to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for one more 2 months, and after that to a slightly lower healthy protein feed or a level feed (if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want to get a head start on taking filth baths, while others will not use up that task till they are older. If you have the area in your chick room, present a tray of sand or filth for them to wash in. Focus and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly most likely bond with you and also not escape as grownups. Second, if you examine your chicks daily as well as enjoy their actions, you can capture ailment or other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or various other harmful indications. Make sure to additionally consider their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted plumes and obstructed cloaca. Last but not least, it is important to look out for social concerns, such as the smallest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are now fully feathered and its time for them to leave the safety and security of your house and move outside into a cage. Have a look at our part on chicken coops for more information concerning cages and correct coop environments.
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