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 Chickens Eggs in
Fincastle, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Fincastle 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. Fincastle
Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Fincastle 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 Fincastle VA.
Baby Chickens in
Fincastle, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Fincastle 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
Fincastle 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 Fincastle
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 And Heat Lamps in
Fincastle, 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
Fincastle 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 Fincastle,
Virginia Baby chicks are extremely
charming as well as
challenging to stand up to,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
right materials, however
likewise the proper
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you simply have to provide them with the following: A
clean and also warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food and water Interest and
love Habitat Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally need
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Also, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
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 store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can use
up to 2 months). The newly
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and weekly this could
be reduced by
about 5 degrees approximately. The warmth source ought
to get on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your heat
lamp, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you need to add some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is key and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bed linens
typically as well as
always supply tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand very quickly
which needs plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Provide
enough at all times and check
usually to
stop dehydrated and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you could
capture illness or various
other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
signs. Make sure to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to watch out for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and also move outside into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken cages for more information
concerning coops and also
correct coop environments.
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