Chicken Vaccination?

I never bother with vaccinations but I know some folks have been devastated by Mareks in their flock. Here is a link where you can read up on it:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

If I have the choice I get the vaccine.

As for a backyard flock, I know people have RIRs, but I hear they can be flighty or aggressive.  Just not a breed I'm attracted to.

I have FBCMs or French Black Copper Marans. They lay fairly well, but they don't keep up with the leghorns or RIRs. I did like my Buff Orps when I had them. I have Lavender now.

If you want a variety of colors in your eggs, the Marans lays a chocolate brown. Ameraucanas lay a pretty blue egg and if you cross the two you get Olive Eggers. I have one that was crossed with Welsummer (another one of my breeds) instead of Marans and she lays an olive egg with terricotta speckles. I have EEs (2) but both lay pink eggs, hoping to breed one or two that lay green. I just got Silver Penciled Rocks and they are very pretty birds.

There are so many choices. My last flock I had everything from Maranas to Polish. I couldn't decide what I wanted, so I just bought everything. LOL

OK I still keep adding breeds, but I continually buy better lines and have several colors of some of the breeds.

Eventually you'll start seeing something that catches your eye and you'll decover your breed or breeds. It finally comes down to personal choice. Most of my birds get carried around by my 5 year old grand daughter. My roos take care of their girls, but they are cream puffs with people. The more you interact with them the better chance of them respecting you and being mellow around people.

I hope you find just what you want. You can check out the members' websites, ask questions, look around and get involved on the breed threads and all of that will help you make a decission that suits you.

Whatever you decide, I know you're going to love keeping chickens.

Welcome!  I suggest you do more research on the breeds that interest you before you go ahead and order.  I got "hooked on chickens" and made a list of the breeds that interested me to start off with and must have changed my mind ten times before deciding on my order.  It all depends on what you want the chickens for and how much work you want to put into taking care of them.  I say this because most of us newbies here have been bitten by the "chicken math" bug.  We start off wanting a small number of chickens (2-4) and end up with 16 or more (personal experience.)

I highly recommend that you look for a hatchery that is NPIP certified.  NPIP is the National Poultry Improvement Plan that was started in the early 1930's.  They certify that flocks are free from diseases such as Pullorum, Fowl Typhoid, Avian Mycoplasmas, Salmonella Enterica, and Avian Influenza. 

Marek's disease is caused by six different herpesviruses that primarily affect the nerves of growing birds.  The Marek's virus is contagious and causes leg paralysis and droopy wings and kills more chickens than any other disease.  Chicks must be vaccinated within their first day of life, before being exposed to the virus.  Some hatcheries do not vaccinate Bantams because they are "too small."

This website has lots of great information and great people who are willing to answer your questions.  Best of luck and once again, WELCOME!

Here's a thread about NPIP:  http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=128584&p=3

There is a misconception out there that testing means the flocks are disease free, but actually they only test for one or at most a few diseases (it varies from state to state.)  That said, I imagine any major hatchery is NPIP certified for legal reasons.

My best layers through the winter were my Black Australorps.  They also have been reasonably friendly.  One of mine is broody.

There is a tremendous amount of breed info on Henderson's. and you could play with the "breed selector tool" on My Pet Chicken as well.  We also have a breed section on BYC in the Breeds, Genetics and Showing section.



http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

I went with the Buff Orpingtons, just on reputation.  Really cold hardy too, from what I read.  If you want a LOT of eggs I hear
that the Golden Comet is a good choice, but I am not sure of their temprament.  One day I will have Dominiques, just like my
Grandmother had.

I am new to and we have the Buff opringtons. BO. They are great for meat and for eggs. I am getting an egg to two eggs a day. They seem pretty tame yet we got them at 6 months old and they are free roam in the yard all day for now. I think they are a great choice but it depends what you wantg them for. If eggs and chicks arent your thing and you just want them... Then maybe the silkies.