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 Chickens Sale in
Auburn, West Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Auburn West 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. Auburn
West Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Auburn West 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 Auburn WV.
Baby Chicks Coop in
Auburn, West Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Auburn West 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
Auburn West 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 Auburn
West 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 Male in
Auburn, West 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
Auburn West 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 Auburn,
West Virginia Baby chicks are really
cute and also
tough to stand up to,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
right products, but
likewise the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely have to supply them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
habitat Plenty of food and also water Interest and also
love Environment Your habitat can be an easy box, aquarium,
feline service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing just
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you should
give them with a heat resource.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally function very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can occupy to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 and 100 levels,
and also weekly this could
be reduced by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The heat resource should get on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your heat
light, you should
reduce the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you should put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is crucial as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to alter
the bed linens
often and
constantly give tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks expand very quickly
which needs lots of tidy
food and water. Offer
enough in any way times and also examine
often to prevent parched as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't take
up that activity until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Interest and love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
enjoy their actions, you could
catch disease or other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
other harmful
signs. Be sure to
also look at
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted plumes as well
as blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to watch out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
section on chicken cages to learn more
about cages and also
proper cage habitats.
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