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Baby Chickens for Sale in Pond Gap, West Virginia

Baby Chickens for Sale in Pond Gap, West Virginia

Easy DIY Chicken Brooder Box

Easy DIY Chicken Brooder Box

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We’re getting our first chickens this spring (!!) and over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing our experiences along the way. Be sure to subscribe via or to keep up with our latest posts! 

Chicken brooder boxes come in all shapes and sizes. They can be small and simple as a cardboard box or kiddie-pool, or a large, complex custom-build. For our booder box, these were my concerns:

  • Sturdy. With curious pets and kids in the house, I wanted something more sturdy than a cardboard box.
  • Safe. Again, the pets (specifically our cat, Stuart) was my main concern. I wanted to make sure the baby chiks would be safe from any “investigating” he might want to do.
  • Easy & inexpensive to build. I’m relatively handy, but I’m no builder. I wanted something I could build quickly and easily with the basic tools I have on hand.

So here’s what I came up with…

Materials

  • 50-gallon Sterilite tote ($16, WalMart)
  • Chicken wire, 25′ roll ($9.99, Tractor Supply)
  • Plastic zip ties ($1.59, Dollar General)

Tools

  • Cordless drill (I have a Black & Decker , part of their 20V system.)
  • 1/4″ drill bit
  • Jig saw
  • Wire cutters

How to Build Your Brooder Box

1. First we’ll cut away the hole in the lid for the chicken wire: Using your cordless drill and 1/4″ drill bit, drill a hole near the corner of the lid, about 3″ or 4″ in from the edge. This will be the pilot hole for your saw blade.

 

2. Using your jig saw, insert the blade into the hole you just drilled, then cut out the center section of the lid, leaving a 3-4″ border around the rim of the lid to keep rigidity.

3. Next, drill holes around the perimeter of the hole you just cut. You want to make them close enough to the edge that the zip ties will work, but not so close to the edge that they crack and break through.

 

4. Flip your lid upside down and unroll your chicken wire on top of it. Use your wire cutters (I actually borrowed Mike’s guitar string cutter tool) to trim the chicken wire to size. Thread zip ties through the holes drilled in the lid and use them to secure the chicken wire in place.

5. Once the chicken wire is secured, you can trim the zip ties so they don’t hang down into the brooder.

6. Release your toddler (and/or pets) for testing…

Hooray! It’s Myles-approved!

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Baby Chickens for Sale in Pond Gap 
WV

Baby Chicks Near Me in Pond Gap, West Virginia

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Pond Gap 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. Pond Gap West Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Pond Gap 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 Pond Gap WV.

Baby Chickens On Sale in Pond Gap, West Virginia

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Pond Gap 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. Baby Chickens for Sale in Pond Gap 
WVTypically 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 Pond Gap 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 Pond Gap 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 Chickens Mail in Pond Gap, 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 Pond Gap 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 Pond Gap, West Virginia Baby chicks are extremely charming and also challenging to stand up to, yet it's ideal to prepare for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially by compiling not only the proper materials, but likewise the correct understanding to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is relatively basic, you simply need to give them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable environment Lots of food and also water Interest and also love Habitat Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank, pet cat service provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and also coverings (without any loose strings!) to begin, as well as after a couple of weeks use straw over paper. Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only newspaper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow misshapen. You likewise require something to serve up food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks get older you could introduce a perch right into the habitat to get them educated on perching. Heat To maintain your chicks heat you need to provide them with a warmth resource. This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat bulb also work extremely well (my referral). Chicks require this warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is changed with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The recently hatched require a temperature between 90 as well as 100 levels, and also every week this can be decreased by about 5 levels or so. The heat source must be on just one side of the cage to enable chicks a range of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are concealing in the contrary corner of your heat lamp, you should decrease the temperature. If they are surrounding each other under the heat (not just snuggling), you have to put some heat. Housekeeping Sanitation is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make sure to transform the bedding frequently as well as always offer tidy food and water Food and water. Chicks expand really quickly which calls for a lot of clean food and also water. Supply enough at all times as well as examine usually to prevent parched as well as hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared to adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the initial 2 months, after that switch over to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for one more 2 months, and after that to a somewhat lower healthy protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to get a head start on taking dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity until they are older. If you have the area in your chick enclosure, present a tray of sand or dust for them to bathe in. Interest as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. To start with, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also not escape as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily as well as see their behavior, you could capture ailment or various other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or other unhealthy signs. Be sure to likewise take a look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted feathers as well as obstructed cloaca. Last but not least, it is important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the tiniest chick getting teased. Empty nest syndrome So your chicks are currently fully feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety and security of your home as well as relocate outside right into a coop. Look into our section on chicken coops to find out more regarding cages as well as proper cage habitats.
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