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 Chicks
Breeds in
Carlsborg, Washington
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Carlsborg Washington,
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. Carlsborg
Washington also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Carlsborg Washington, 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 Carlsborg WA.
Baby Chicks And Ducks For Sale in
Carlsborg, Washington
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Carlsborg Washington
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
Carlsborg Washington * 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 Carlsborg
Washington * 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 On
Sale in
Carlsborg, Washington
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
Carlsborg Washington 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 Carlsborg,
Washington Baby chicks are extremely
charming and
difficult to resist,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
proper products, but
also the appropriate
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you merely need
to provide them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
environment Plenty of food and also water Attention and also
love Environment Your habitat can be a
simple box, aquarium,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You additionally require
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
provide them with a heat source.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to two months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and also weekly this could
be reduced by
roughly 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource should get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you have to put some heat.
House cleaning
Sanitation is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to alter
the bed linens
typically and also
constantly provide clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand very quick
which needs lots of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient in any way times and inspect
often to avoid thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't take
up that task up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will more than likely bond with you and also
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their actions, you can
catch ailment or various
other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other harmful
signs. Make certain to
likewise consider
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers and also stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your home
as well as move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages to find out
more
regarding cages and also
appropriate cage environments.
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