subject: The Best Places To Buy Baby Chicks [print this page] The first place you should look in purchasing baby chicks is a farm supply store. Most of the farm supply stores carry different breeds and more than likely have the breed of baby chicks you are looking for.
Mediterranean's are small but are wonderful for eggs and the Asiatic and English breeds provide great meat. The Americans are good for both meat and eggs. I want to recommend that you purchase your baby chicks locally because sometimes shipping baby chicks can prove futile due to the baby chicks dying during shipping.
Analyze your baby chicks before purchasing them
Before you purchase your baby chicks, ensure that you check the source which you are purchasing them from.
You want to ensure that the hatchery stocking the baby chicks is supervised by the National Poultry Improvement Plan. This will ensure that you will not purchase diseased baby chicks. Inquire about how often the hatchery vaccinates their baby chicks in particularly for Marek's disease.
Order your baby chicks in advance
You will want to place your order for your baby chicks a couple of months in advance. It's typical for consumers of baby chicks to purchase the chicks in the spring however, you can purchase the chicks in November if you wish.
Make sure you understand the terms of your purchase
You should understand the terms of your purchase before you hand over any money. Some of the hatcheries check the gender of the baby chicks before they ship them but if you are only interested in "straight run baby chicks", the hatchery will not check the gender.
Arrival of your chicks and warmth
Once your baby chicks arrive, you will want to look them over. Never take home a baby chick which appears to be ill. If the chicks are not feathered, they will need a warm place to live. You can place the baby chicks in a metal tub with a heating lamp as long as you consistently check the temperature.
Summary
Once your baby chicks have feathered, you want to keep them in a chicken shelter or coop. Introduce them to their new home slowly which will decrease the stress on the chicks. Make sure you purchase chick starter when you pick up your baby chicks. Keep this stocked up in the baby chick's shelter. Constantly check their water supply which will keep your chicks from drowning as well as ensuring fresh, clean water for them to drink.
by: Janet Walker
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
