Wanna be chicken girl

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

I actually am against the use of sand. It can cause crop problems in the chickens, it doesn't trap heat or cold very well, it is hard to move around and clean with and is heavy.

For breeds I would recommend the buff orpington. They are friendly, affectionate, lap hogs, great layers, curious, cold hardy and good foragers.

My Hens and Roo said:

I never thought of using sand other than it's use in the container dust baths we leave inside the coop during the winter months.

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I keep a flat box of wood ash in my coop for my chickens to bathe in. They absolutely love it and it prevents lice and mite infestations better than sand, dirt, or dust does.

Thats smart a seperate box i can do that!

Hi, Wannabee, and welcome to BYC.

If you are in Ohio, I believe it is a state law that you have to have at least one Buckeye chicken.

My question for you would be "What are your goals?" and aligned with that are "How do you want to manage your goals?"

If all you want is a few eggs for the family, then there is no better chicken than a Golden Comet or any of the other production hybrids. They tend to be very calm chickens, reliable layers of large eggs, and they do it with the best feed to egg conversion ratio out there. It is an excellent way to get started in chickens because you can pick up as many or as few chicks as you want at TSC, Rural King, or most feed mills. Sometimes you can get the chicks for free with with purchase of a "starter pack" of feeders, waterers, feed, and supplements.

If you want chickens for eggs and meat, I would second Sumi's suggestion about Buckeyes. They lay nice size eggs and are among the most docile chickens out there. In southern Ohio you shouldn't have any problem finding a reputable breeder of excellent stock. Other good dual purpose breeds include Delaware, New Hampshire, and Wyandotte. I like my Little Red Hens and Old Red Rooster, so they are my go-to breed for eggs and meat.

There is another group on BYC where you might introduce yourself as well: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/12049/ohio-come-on-buckeyes-let-me-know-your-out-there

Also, if you can make a run up to Columbus on November 7, 8, or 9, to the Ohio National chicken show, I would highly, highly recommend it. You will see more varieties of poultry under one roof than you will anywhere else in the state. This will let you see an amazing display of the best looking representatives of more breeds than you ever knew existed. Not only that, but many exhibitors will sell their birds rather than take them home from the show, so it's a good opportunity to pick up some nice adult birds who will start off laying for you in the spring. Most importantly, you will be able to talk to people who are enthusiastic about chickens and will tell you the good and bad points about the breeds and give you all sorts of advice. I visited the ON before I had chickens and have been back every year since. It's a great show.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

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