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 Mail in
Ordinary, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Ordinary 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. Ordinary
Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Ordinary 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 Ordinary VA.
Baby Chickens Facts in
Ordinary, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Ordinary 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
Ordinary 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 Ordinary
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.
Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in
Ordinary, 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
Ordinary 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 Ordinary,
Virginia Baby chicks are really
cute as well as
challenging to resist,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
right materials, yet
likewise the correct
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you merely have to offer them with the following: A
clean and also warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and also water Interest as well as
love Environment Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You additionally need
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth resource.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb also work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can occupy to 2 months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and weekly this could
be decreased by
around 5 degrees or
so. The heat source should be on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you should
reduce the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not merely snuggling),
you have to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Sanitation is crucial as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to change
the bed linens
frequently and
consistently offer clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which requires a lot of clean
food and also water. Supply
enough whatsoever times and also check
frequently to avoid thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not take
up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
see their behavior, you could
capture ailment or various
other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Be sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and move outside into a
coop. Look into our
section on chicken coops for more information
regarding cages and also
correct cage environments.
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