Chickens are social birds and really need to have at least one friend, so count on starting with a minimum of two. Having multiple birds will also help them keep each other warm in the winter time. So, how many should you get? I read somewhere that two hens per family member is a good guideline. By their rule, if you have a family of 5, that would mean 10 hens. But also keep in mind that young hens can lay one egg every 1-2 days during the warm months. That means you could have 35-70 eggs in one week’s time! That’s quite a few eggs. Now you can freeze eggs, cook or bake items that use eggs and freeze those, but you still should take that into consideration when deciding how many. Personally if we were to start again, I would go with 5-8 hens. This coming from the family that currently has 18 hens … but we’re also selling quite a few eggs.
We’ve never gotten eggs for incubation, so I can’t offer any advice on how to start there.
Our chickens have always come as baby chicks. There are two ways I know of to get chickens this way – buy them local or find an online source. I’m pretty sure our local Blaine’s Farm & Fleet has chickens each spring. Selection would be limited but you should find only those breeds suited to your area.
We’ve had good luck ordering from Murray McMurray Hatchery. They have a wide array of breeds and you can find some good deals (which is how we ended up ordering 45 birds the first time!). The downside to mail-ordering birds is there is usually a minimum number you have to order so they can keep each other warm in the box during the few days they are being shipped. And yes, they do actually come via US Postal Service. The post office knows how to handle them so they get to you in time. There’s always a risk of chicks not surviving the shipping process. We lost one last year when we ordered again. Sometimes hatcheries will take that into consideration and throw in an extra bird just in case (but don’t count on it). Let them know if a bird doesn’t survive – they may give you a refund or discount if it’s within 24-48 hrs of arrival.
If you get baby chicks instead of full-grown hens, keep in mind that you will need to keep them warm … like 90-95°F warm the first few weeks of their lives. This requires a heat lamp or some other heat source, and a “brooder” area where you can make sure they are draft-free. This area could be inside your existing coop (if there aren’t hens in there already), but you’ll want to contain them in a smaller size to make sure they stay warm. As the weeks pass you can move the heat lamp up, reducing the temperature by 5-degrees per week until they’re ready to go outside.
You could also check out local sites like Craigslist as there might be some people that received full-grown chickens can no longer keep them.
There are a multitude of choices for chicken breeds out there. You can get
great egg-producers
dual-purpose breeds (if you intend to eat your birds later)
breeds that are cold-hardy
“fancy” birds with amazing plumage, aka ornamentals
rare breeds – some of which are endangered.
and have great listings of chicken breeds to help you sort it out.
For our location, we wanted to make sure our chickens would be cold-hardy. We also wanted fairly good layers, so most of our hens are either Speckled Sussex or Rhode Island Reds. We also had good luck with Buff Orpingtons. Opal is our one remaining Silver-Laced Wyandotte from the first batch.
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Baby Chickens In
The Mail in
Rippon, West Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Rippon 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. Rippon
West Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Rippon 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 Rippon WV.
Baby Chickens For Sale Free Shipping in
Rippon, West Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Rippon 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
Rippon 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 Rippon
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
Near Me in
Rippon, 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
Rippon 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 Rippon,
West Virginia Baby chicks are quite
charming as well as
difficult to stand up to,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
proper products, yet
additionally the appropriate
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you merely need
to give them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
environment Lots of food and also water Attention as well as
love Habitat Your habitat could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using only
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You likewise require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you need to
supply them with a heat source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as weekly this can
be decreased by
about 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource must be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you should add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is key and it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to alter
the bedding
frequently and
consistently provide tidy
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which needs a lot of clean
food and also water. Supply
sufficient in any way times and also inspect
often to
stop parched as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not take
up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Focus as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
watch their actions, you could
catch ailment or other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other undesirable
signs. Make certain to
likewise check out
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted plumes and also clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to look out
for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as move outside into a cage. Check out our
part on chicken cages to find out
more
about coops as well as
proper cage habitats.
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