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Baby Chickens for Sale in Wallula, Washington

Baby Chickens for Sale in Wallula, Washington

10 Things You Must Know BEFORE Getting Chickens [Guest Post]

Happy New Year, Little Blog on the Homestead Readers! If one of your goals for 2015 is to get some backyard chickens, you’re in luck. Today I’m sharing my Top 10 things you need to know BEFORE you get chickens. There are many things I wish I would have known about raising chickens before I dove in head first, so this is my way of “paying it forward” and helping you get off to a better start than I did.

My name is Sarah and I’m from Western South Dakota. I blog at Grounded & Surrounded with my best friend Sammi. Last year, my family moved out to 13 acres in the country so we could pursue a more grounded lifestyle. I love to garden, , and am trying to convince my husband that we REALLY need goats (he isn’t budging yet, but I am persistent!).

I cannot tell you how excited I am to write this post for you today. I have had so much fun raising my little flock of chickens, and I am blown away by how easy and rewarding it has been. I am so thankful to Nicole for sharing her audience with me; because “” understand how exciting it can be to raise an animal that provides healthy and nutritious food for your family.

Are you ready for a crash course in raising chickens? Here are 10 Things I wish I would have known the day my chicks arrived in the mail (Yes! They mail chicks! I ordered mine ).

  1. You would be CRAZY not to LOVE raising chickens: I was so nervous about this at the beginning. I was worried I would go through all the work and hate having chickens around. Don’t worry, honey; chickens are the best “pets” you will ever have!
  2. There are so many breeds to choose from: I have 7 different breeds in my flock. I say variety is the spice of life, mix it up if you can! People are so impressed by how beautiful my flock is, and it is easy to remember all of their names when they are all unique.
  3. It is hard to (accidentally) kill a baby chick: Another concern for me since I have young children, and they have lots of little friends. It took me a while to realize that it was absolutely OK to let the kids hold the baby chicks, they aren’t as fragile as they seem.
  4. It is difficult to tell the sex of a day old-chick: We ordered 15 females, we received 14 females and 1 very feisty male. So don’t be surprised if you end up with a male, and have a contingency plan in place (especially if you have ordinances to consider). We didn’t know for sure he was a rooster for at least 8-10 weeks.
  5. Prep the Garage: We originally had our babies in the basement, which was perfect for the first few weeks. But once they start to grow and get their feathers, you will want to have a “transition” home set up for them. Something bigger than the brooder, but smaller and warmer than their coop.
  6. Chickens are funny: Again, something I never knew. Chickens are the most entertaining animal in the world. When you raise them up from babies, they grow up to love and trust you. Some nights our planned entertainment is hanging out with the chickens. Weird, I know!
  7. You can train your chickens: I remember when my chickens were “teenagers”, I used to have to chase them around to try to catch them and get them into their coop at night. But NO MORE! Those chickens follow me everywhere, and they are super easy to catch.
  8. Make sure your coop is built for your climate: It can get to be -20 in the wintertime here. We have had to modify our coop about 3 times to make sure it was warm enough for the girls. It would have been a lot easier to build it correctly from the beginning!
  9. Finding organic chicken feed can be difficult: There is nowhere in my town to purchase a bag of organic chicken feed. I was absolutely shocked to discover this. I order my from Azure Standard. If you live in a smaller town, you may be forced to order your feed too.
  10. Family chickens or the family dog: Our dog Oreo loves chickens. A BIT TOO MUCH! After I nearly lost my favorite chicken when Oreo decided to “play” with her, I had to choose between the dog and the chickens. You might find yourself in a similar situation at some point. Do what I did, choose the chickens! Oreo is now happily living next door with my parents.

I am so excited to see how to get her own Backyard Chickens turns out. And I hope you will take the leap too if you haven’t already (and chickens are allowed where you live). If you want to see more pictures of my beautiful chickens (among other things), be sure to follow me on.

Sarah Koontz is a stay-at-home mother of 2 beautiful little girls. She is passionate about writing, and loves sharing her advice and experiences with anyone who will listen. She has a blog with her best friend Sammi at where they write about all things Healthy! Heart, Home, & Habits. Find Sarah on , and .

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Baby Chickens for Sale in Wallula 
WA

Baby Chicks Types in Wallula, Washington

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Wallula 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. Wallula Washington also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Wallula 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 Wallula WA.

Baby Chickens Near Me in Wallula, Washington

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Wallula 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Wallula 
WATypically 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 Wallula 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 Wallula 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 In The Mail in Wallula, 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 Wallula 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 Wallula, Washington Baby chicks are really charming and hard to resist, yet it's ideal to plan for their arrival before you get them. Prepare first by gathering not just the correct materials, yet additionally the proper understanding to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is fairly simple, you just should supply them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy habitat A lot of food as well as water Interest and also love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank, cat carrier, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also blankets (with no loosened strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks use straw over paper. Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only newspaper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You likewise need something to provide food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and water meal from the feed store, or a pickle container lid for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks get older you can present a perch right into the environment to obtain them trained on perching. Warmth To keep your chicks heat you should provide them with a warmth source. This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat bulb also function effectively (my recommendation). Chicks require this heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is replaced with plumes (which can take up to two months). The freshly hatched out require a temperature level between 90 as well as 100 levels, and also weekly this can be decreased by approximately 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource must be on simply one side of the cage to enable chicks a range of temperature levels. The chicks are your best thermometer- if they are concealing in the other corner of your heat lamp, you need to decrease the temperature level. If they are smothering each other under the heat (not simply snuggling), you should put some heat. Home cleaning Cleanliness is crucial and also it maintains your chicks healthy and balanced. Make certain to alter the bedding frequently and consistently offer clean food and water Food and also water. Chicks grow very quickly which calls for plenty of tidy food as well as water. Offer sufficient whatsoever times and check often to avoid dehydrated and also starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and it comes in both medicated and also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the first 2 months, then switch to a raiser food (~ 17 % protein) for an additional 2 months, and after that to a slightly lower healthy protein feed or a level feed (if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking filth baths, while others won't take up that activity till they are older. If you have the space in your chick room, present a tray of sand or dirt for them to shower in. Interest as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly most likely bond with you and also not run away as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and also enjoy their behavior, you can catch illness or various other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, limping, or other undesirable signs. Make certain to also check out their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers and also blocked cloaca. Finally, it is very important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the tiniest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are currently fully feathery and its time for them to leave the safety of your residence and relocate outside into a coop. Take a look at our part on chicken cages to read more concerning cages and proper cage habitats.
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