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
Hatchery in
Renton, Washington
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Renton 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. Renton
Washington also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Renton 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 Renton WA.
Baby Quail Chicks in
Renton, Washington
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Renton 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
Renton 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 Renton
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
Black in
Renton, 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
Renton 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 Renton,
Washington Baby chicks are really
cute and also
tough to resist,
but it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
correct products, however
likewise the proper
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you simply need
to provide them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
habitat A lot of food and also water Interest and also
love Environment Your environment can be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks use straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally require
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
cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Also, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a heat source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as every week this could
be decreased by
approximately 5 degrees approximately. The heat source need to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not just curling up),
you have to add some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is key as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to alter
the bed linen
frequently as well as
consistently supply clean
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand very fast
which calls for a lot of tidy
food and water. Offer
sufficient whatsoever times and check
typically to prevent thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Interest as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you as well as
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
see their behavior, you can
catch disease or various
other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Be sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and move outside into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken coops to learn more
regarding coops and
correct coop environments.
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