For quite some time I have been toying with the idea of getting chickens. I love the idea of having baby chicks around to help my children learn responsibility and how nature works to provide for us. This, however, is a big decision. Sure, little chicks are cute and having fresh eggs would be divine, but don’t forget that chickens are a lot of work. While they are usually quite content pecking away on their own, they still need a lot of care. Here are several things to consider before getting chickens.
1. Does your residential area allow chickens? Many areas, like homes in the city or neighborhoods, do not allow chickens. You could be fined and forced to remove them.
2. What are you going to do with them when they are done laying eggs?
3. What climate do you live in? Cold climates mean harsh winters when your chickens will need extra care.
4. Do you have time to keep their pens clean, water fresh and food available?
5. What do I need to make them a home? You will need a place for them to lay their eggs and get out of bad weather.
6. Will your chickens be free range or have a chicken pen? How will you keep them in your yard and not your neighbors?
7. What breed of chicken should you buy?
After researching chickens in further detail I still want them to join our family. However, I am going to take my time to make sure my preparations are done right and I am ready for them to join us. Ive read that the best time to get baby chicks is mid March-May. Since it is already March and I have not yet preparing a home for them, I will hold off on my plans until next year when I have ample time to prepare for their arrival. Plus, I still have some convincing to do with my husband who is not yet on board with the idea.
If you are interested in raising chickens, check out the e-book titled The Urban Chicken. I just finished reading it to help me decide if chickens were a good addition to our home or not. The book answered all of the questions I had that I mentioned above. The book also talks about what breed of chicken are best to get for your overall goals, how to care for them and what to do when things go wrong. I think this book is a great resource for the un-experienced person thinking about whether or not to embark on the chicken raising lifestyle. (Like me!)
The e-book The Urban Chicken as mentioned above is available for purchase at the following link. This lovely book is written by Heather Harris. You can also view her blog at .
Any readers raising chickens that can share their experiences with us? I am so curious and want to know more! Please leave your thoughts on raising chickens in the comments.
<3 Dick and JaneDisclosure: I was able to read this book for free from the writer. I was not compensated for mentioning it in my post. All thoughts in this post are my own and not pursuaded by my free copy to read.
Baby Chickens in
Piney River, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Piney River 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. Piney River
Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Piney River 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 Piney River VA.
Baby Chicks
Hatchery in
Piney River, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Piney River 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
Piney River 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 Piney River
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 Needs in
Piney River, 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
Piney River 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 Piney River,
Virginia Baby chicks are very
charming and also
challenging to withstand,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
right materials, yet
additionally the proper
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you simply have to supply them with the following: A
clean and cozy
habitat A lot of food and water Focus and
love Habitat Your habitat can be an easy box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loosened
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You likewise need
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
give them with a warmth resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could take up to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature
in between 90 and 100 levels,
and every week this could
be reduced by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat resource should be on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other corner of your warmth
lamp, you need to
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you need to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is key and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linens
commonly and also
constantly give clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand very fast
which needs lots of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
enough whatsoever times and also check
often to avoid parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil 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
filth for them to bathe in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will more than likely bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
see their behavior, you could
catch ailment or other issues earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
also take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted feathers and clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to watch out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently fully feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and also relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken coops to find out
more
concerning cages and
proper coop habitats.
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