Chicks for sale in Wisconsin – Page 5

Remodeling at VJP Poultry – 2/13/17

February 13, 2017December 1, 2018 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

20170128_105904 If you have visited VJP Poultry in the past you more than likely have visited the “chick room.” It is a little room off of our garage that houses all of the silkie chicks that are currently for sale. It’s a fun little room with all of its cheeping and classical music, but it also had some problems.

The room had never been properly finished. The sheet rock was water stained and drab. The chick pens were not arranged so that they could be easily cleaned, and it was simply too tight of a space to move around in. Any more than having two people in that room was too crowded. It was time for a change.

The January thaw was just the right time to move all of the chicks out and onto the floor of the garage. My car would need to sit outside until the project was over. We put out a few space heater so all of the chicks were kept toasty warm.

The first step was to clean and clear out everything. There were tables, shelving and a bunny hutch to move out. I try to keep the room clean but there was a ton of dust everywhere that all had to be blown out.

When the room was empty we began to tape the drywall. There were also lots of holes in the sheet rock to plaster over and make smooth. The floor needed to be scraped. A lot had stuck to it over the years.

Next we needed to prime the walls with white. When it was dry we could finally paint. I chose a lavender hue (luscious lavender was the name of it.) This color matches the purple house theme and blends in nicely with our logo purple colors.

Some insulation was added near the door and then molding was added along the floor. The white metal cabinets were quite rusty so those needed to be sanded, primed and painted. A new light fixture was added to make it easier to see the birds clearly.

Lastly we purchased new shelving. This will be the key to making the pens easier to get at and to making it more spacious.

I love the changes that were made. Thanks to my husband who is always there with the vision. VJP Poultry is better than ever!

For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.

Victoria J. Peterson

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Silkies for Sale – 2/11/17

February 11, 2017 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

How To Choose Silkie Chicks for 4-H Poultry Showing- 2/7/17

February 7, 2017December 1, 2018 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

show-3 There are many things to consider when choosing chicks. You will ultimately want a chick that grows out to be a show quality winning bird, but it is difficult to know how a chick will feather out as it matures. If you follow a few simple guidelines when choosing, you should be on your way to a great 4-H poultry showing.

One obvious trait would be color. If you are showing a trio (one male, 2 females) they should all three match in color. Black or white birds are easy because they match up the best. If , however, you see leakage in the coloring of the chick – choose another chick. Black should be solid black with no other colors coming through the wings or toes. Same with white. Buff and blue will be harder colors to match. Their colors are on a spectrum. There are many different shades of buff and blue. When you are picking out chicks in these colors, make sure that the chicks are matching each other. The colors should be pure without any leakage of other colors.

The next thing to look at would be their toes. Silkies should have five toes. Sometimes a chick will be born with only four toes. This is a disqualification for silkies. They may also be born with extra claws coming out of their last toe. Again, a disqualification. No extra claws or toenails.

Toe placement is also important. Their toes should have adequate spacing between them, especially between the 4th and 5th toe. You want those two toes to have as much separation as possible. Not fused together. The 5th toe should be pointing back towards the tail. Not towards the front.

When purchasing a new chick look for one that is healthy and full of vitality . Watch it walk and make sure it is not presenting any leg issues. Make sure its behind looks clean.

Because you need two females and one male that all match, my advice is to buy as many as you can afford or have room for. Not all chicks will grow up to have the same body type. You will want to be able to choose which is the best among many others. You will also want back-up birds in case something happens at the last minute to the bird you picked out.

You should choose one color of chick and stick with it. It will not help you to buy black chicks if you are really planning on showing white. Buy as many as you can in one color so that you will have more choice later when you are ready to show. I think that black and white are the easiest to show.

An NPIP breeder is one whose flock has been pullorum tested. If you buy from an NPIP breeder you will not have to go through the trouble of having your birds tested for pullorum at show time. The rules state that all birds entered for 4-H showing need to be tested unless they have a “statement of origin ” sheet which will state the breeder’s hatchery number.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you to pick out some truly wonderful chicks for showing. VJP Poultry is a great place to start looking and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have on showing birds. Good luck in all your shows!

Victoria J. Peterson

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Silkies For Sale – 2/5/17

February 5, 2017 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Using Heated Water Bases at VJP Poultry – 1/7/17

January 7, 2017June 24, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

20170107_135821 This year I decided to purchase heated water bases to use under my two gallon galvanized waterers. Winter is long in Minnesota and its important to have a reliable source of heat to keep the water open for your silkies.

In the past I have tried many different ways to keep their water from freezing. First, I used heat lamps positioned directly over plastic waterers. I used this method for many years. It worked well, but it was very expensive. It costs 90 cents a day to keep a 250 Watt bulb running. I have a total of eight watering stations which would cost me $7.20 a day if I still used this method. I was also worried about fire using all of those heat lamps around the pine bedding.

The next idea I tried involved using flat bird bath de-icers. They are the ones that are flat and covered with foil. They lay between the waterer and a metal base. The base is the kind you would use for catching oil under a car – also called an automotive drain pan. I also used a thermostatic outlet with it that only came on when the temps dipped below 32 degrees and then turned off when it got above 35 degrees.

The cords coming from the bird bath de-icers were not very good and after a year of using them, began to look burned. The cord was becoming too hot for my liking and once again I was afraid of starting a fire. This is what can happen when using something not in the way a manufacturer designed it for.

After more research, I decided to give the heated water bases a try. What I like the most about them is that the cord is very strong and well protected. The base sits in the pine shavings but I don’t have to worry about it getting too hot. It was made specifically for this use which ,then, lowers my worry level.

The base keeps the water very warm – almost too warm to my way of thinking. I found that the birds spilled or dribbled water when they drank, causing the bedding to become wet around it. I ended up using pizza circle tins between the base heater and the waterer to catch the spills.

The silkies do not burn themselves on these bases. In fact, they like to hop on top of it when I am changing out the water. The top is warm but not hot. The heated water in the waterer also helps to warm the surrounding area in your coop when it is cold out.

You can make them much cheaper yourself and there are many You-Tube videos on how to do this, but the price is worth my peace of mind knowing that the water will not freeze nor will it set the coop on fire. These heated bases are not designed for outdoor use so they need to be kept inside of the coop. They should not be used with plastic waterers. You should use metal galvanized waterers.

The base will automatically kick on when the temperature drops below 35 degrees. This is a nice feature when you didn’t expect cold weather in the middle of the night or if you don’t want to waste electricity (money) by having them run all the time when the water is not going to freeze.

The cost to run these base heaters ends up being around 45 cents a day. They are 125 Watts. I make sure that I turn mine off if the temp is above freezing in the coop. I would also not leave them out all year round. Put them safely away when the cold weather is done as you don’t want them to rust. You will want to be able to use them for many winters to come. This winter is not over yet, but so far I am really enjoying using these heated water bases.

Victoria J. Peterson