Baby Chickens for Sale in Dugspur, Virginia
Baby Chickens for Sale in Dugspur, Virginia
How to Raise Chickens: #3 Selecting Chickens
How to Raise Chickens: #3 Selecting Chickens
April 9, 2014 in by
Chickens are social birds and really need to have at least one friend, so count on starting with a minimum of two. Having multiple birds will also help them keep each other warm in the winter time. So, how many should you get? I read somewhere that two hens per family member is a good guideline. By their rule, if you have a family of 5, that would mean 10 hens. But also keep in mind that young hens can lay one egg every 1-2 days during the warm months. That means you could have 35-70 eggs in one week’s time! That’s quite a few eggs. Now you can freeze eggs, cook or bake items that use eggs and freeze those, but you still should take that into consideration when deciding how many. Personally if we were to start again, I would go with 5-8 hens. This coming from the family that currently has 18 hens … but we’re also selling quite a few eggs.
We’ve never gotten eggs for incubation, so I can’t offer any advice on how to start there.
Our chickens have always come as baby chicks. There are two ways I know of to get chickens this way – buy them local or find an online source. I’m pretty sure our local Blaine’s Farm & Fleet has chickens each spring. Selection would be limited but you should find only those breeds suited to your area.
We’ve had good luck ordering from Murray McMurray Hatchery. They have a wide array of breeds and you can find some good deals (which is how we ended up ordering 45 birds the first time!). The downside to mail-ordering birds is there is usually a minimum number you have to order so they can keep each other warm in the box during the few days they are being shipped. And yes, they do actually come via US Postal Service. The post office knows how to handle them so they get to you in time. There’s always a risk of chicks not surviving the shipping process. We lost one last year when we ordered again. Sometimes hatcheries will take that into consideration and throw in an extra bird just in case (but don’t count on it). Let them know if a bird doesn’t survive – they may give you a refund or discount if it’s within 24-48 hrs of arrival.
If you get baby chicks instead of full-grown hens, keep in mind that you will need to keep them warm … like 90-95°F warm the first few weeks of their lives. This requires a heat lamp or some other heat source, and a “brooder” area where you can make sure they are draft-free. This area could be inside your existing coop (if there aren’t hens in there already), but you’ll want to contain them in a smaller size to make sure they stay warm. As the weeks pass you can move the heat lamp up, reducing the temperature by 5-degrees per week until they’re ready to go outside.
You could also check out local sites like Craigslist as there might be some people that received full-grown chickens can no longer keep them.
There are a multitude of choices for chicken breeds out there. You can get
- great egg-producers
- dual-purpose breeds (if you intend to eat your birds later)
- breeds that are cold-hardy
- “fancy” birds with amazing plumage, aka ornamentals
- rare breeds – some of which are endangered.
and have great listings of chicken breeds to help you sort it out.
For our location, we wanted to make sure our chickens would be cold-hardy. We also wanted fairly good layers, so most of our hens are either Speckled Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. We also had good luck with Buff Orpingtons. Opal is our one remaining Silver-Laced Wyandotte from the first batch.
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Baby Chicks Needs in Dugspur, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Dugspur 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. Dugspur Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Dugspur 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 Dugspur VA.Baby Chicks Mail Order in Dugspur, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Dugspur 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
Dugspur 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 Dugspur
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 Eggs in Dugspur, 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 Dugspur 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 Dugspur, Virginia Baby chicks are extremely adorable and difficult to withstand, yet it's finest to plan for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially by compiling not only the proper materials, but also the proper knowledge to care for them. Raising baby chicks is relatively straightforward, you just need to provide them with the following: A tidy and also cozy environment Lots of food as well as water Attention and also love Habitat Your environment could be a basic box, aquarium, feline provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also blankets (with no loosened strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks use straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid making use of just newspaper or other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand misshapen. You also require something to provide food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar lid for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Additionally, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch right into the environment to get them trained on setting down. Warmth To maintain your chicks warm you need to offer them with a heat resource. This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb also function effectively (my referral). Chicks require this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which can use up to 2 months). The recently hatched require a temperature in between 90 and 100 degrees, and weekly this could be lowered by roughly 5 degrees or so. The warmth resource should get on merely one side of the cage to permit chicks a range of temperature levels. The chicks are your best thermometer- if they are concealing in the other corner of your heat light, you have to decrease the temperature level. If they are smothering each other under the warmth (not simply snuggling), you have to put some warmth. House cleaning Sanitation is essential as well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to alter the bedding frequently and also always give tidy food and also water Food as well as water. Chicks grow very fast which needs a lot of clean food as well as water. Supply enough in any way times and also inspect typically to prevent parched as well as starving chicks. Chick food is different compared to grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the very first 2 months, then switch to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for another 2 months, and afterwards to a somewhat lower protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking dirt bathrooms, while others won't take up that task until they are older. If you have the area in your chick enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or filth for them to bathe in. Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will probably bond with you and also not escape as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily as well as see their actions, you could catch health problem or various other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or other harmful indicators. Make sure to additionally consider their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers and also blocked cloaca. Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the tiniest chick obtaining picked on. Vacant nest disorder So your chicks are currently completely feathered and its time for them to leave the safety of your house and also relocate outside right into a coop. Check out our part on chicken cages to read more regarding coops and also appropriate cage habitats.Baby Chicks Habitat Baby Chicks Male Or Female
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