In a few weeks, 26 chicks will invade our house. I have never personally raised chickens before and I’m getting a little nervous. Today I thought I would spout out some random chicken facts so that I feel prepared for the invasion. Um, right.
So, here are some things about chickens that I didn’t know a year ago.
Bantam: a mini chicken. Usually a breed of chicken has a full sized and a bantam size.
Wattle: the little red flap of skin that hangs under a chicken’s chin. (I always think of Allie McBeal. Does anyone else remember the guy on that show who had a wattle obsession?)
Girl chickens (hens) do not require a boy chicken (rooster) to lay eggs. They can lay without him around – the eggs just aren’t fertile and can’t turn into baby chicks.
People at the feed store look at you funny if you refer to hens and roosters as girl and boy chickens.
Some birds are better at laying eggs so they are referred to as egg layers. Others taste better so they are called meat birds. Some do both jobs pretty well and are given the title dual purpose. And yet others just stand around looking pretty so they are called exhibition or show birds.
Heritage chickens are breeds of chickens that are older and usually haven’t been specifically bred to increase egg laying or meat production. Often they are considered dual purpose.
Meat birds have different labels depending on when they are butchered. Broilers or fryers are usually butchered younger (the age depends on the breed) and typically weigh less than 3.5 pounds. Roasters are 4 or 5 pounds while stewing chickens are the oldest and weigh the most. They are usually laying hens who are done laying. They need to be cooked for a long time to soften up their tough meat.
An old biddy is an affectionate name for an old laying hen. It is NOT a good nickname for your wife. It CAN be used when talking about crabby women – as long as you are a woman yourself and the person you’re talking about isn’t around.
The term “sexed” does not mean what you might think. (And I’m not telling you what I thought it meant.) It means getting the gender of chicken that you want when you order from a hatchery (typically females if you want laying hens).
Ordering chicks “straight run” means getting both males and females. You can usually do this with meat birds because you will butcher them before the hens start laying eggs or the rooster get too, well, rooster-y.
So now that I’ve proven my abilities for listing random chicken facts, I feel much better about my poultry-raising skills.
Um, right.
Thanks to my dad for the chicken pictures and for fielding all my chicken-related questions!
Other posts that might be of interest:
Baby Chicks Baby
Chickens in
Raphine, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Raphine 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. Raphine
Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Raphine 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 Raphine VA.
Baby Chicks Buy in
Raphine, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Raphine 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
Raphine 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 Raphine
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 Near Me in
Raphine, 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
Raphine 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 Raphine,
Virginia Baby chicks are really
cute and also
tough to stand up to,
however it's best to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not only the
proper materials, however
also the proper
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you simply need
to give them with the following: A
clean and warm
habitat Lots of food as well
as water Focus and also
love Environment Your habitat can be a straightforward box, aquarium,
pet cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also need
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
give them with a heat resource.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally function extremely 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 freshly
hatched require a temperature
between 90 and 100 levels,
and weekly this can
be lowered by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source need to get on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your heat
light, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not merely cuddling),
you have to include some heat.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bedding
often and
always offer clean
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely fast
which requires a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
enough in any way times and also examine
usually to
stop parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't occupy that task till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Interest and love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
see their actions, you could
capture illness or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Make certain to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers and clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and also move outside into a cage. Have a look at our
section on chicken cages to read more
about cages and
proper coop habitats.
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