A newbie to the egg realm!!!

Date sort Score sort
Jennifer319

Jennifer319

In the Brooder
5 Years
May 26, 2014
21
1
26
I am in the beginning of my chicken journey. I am building a house in the fall and will be adding chickens to the clan. I am a nurse practitioner by profession and love the idea of my own food and sources so I know where things came from as it were. I have so many questions and although I am reading the sheer amount of chicken info is amazing. I mean where do I start???? I get the coop thing as I wish to have around 10 chickens. I was told to purchase the chicks and put in a brooder for a few weeks until they can go outside. However what chicks to I get. I saw the choices and thought HUH??????? I want large brown eggs and chickens who are calm and not possessed. I would like to have lots of eggs so I know there are some who are egg laying fools! Do I need a rooster????? Is his role to keep the ladies in line???? I suppose I am reading so much gray that just having those in the know give me some black and white answers would be nice to give me a start. I am a planner so even though I am literally in the beginning of it all I like to have a plan.

I am soooo happy to have found this group!!!!
Jennifer
 
images


Welcome to BYC!

You will want to start by doing some reading in our learning center. There are lots of good articles on all the aspects of keeping poultry....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

As for breeds, there are lots of nice breeds out there that are great layers, good personalities, docile and friendly, hardy and also dress out nicely for the table as well. Check out these 2 breeds pages on all the breeds and their attributes...

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf

If you are only interested in eggs, you do not need a rooster. The hens will lay regardless and just as well. A rooster is needed if you want fertile eggs for chicks and they can help protect the flock from predators, although they are more like an alarm going off and not like an attack dog. Some roosters are nice and sweet and others are mean and aggressive. So keep this in mind. They do help to keep the peace amongst the hens as without a rooster, one of the hens will take the place of a roo and sometimes there is a lot of arguing in the flock.

Stop by our coops pages as well for some great ideas on coops from our members here on BYC...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

This should get you started. If you have any further questions, that is what we are here for. Welcome to our flock!
 
Thanks!!!! I was doing some reading on different sites about purchasing chicks and the choices and you would think it would be easy but nope. I have been reading some of the threads but they have this down to a science and I am in the I just don't want to kill a creature phase with all of it. I will look at the links and thanks so much for your input it is all so helpful!!!!
Jennifer
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! TwoCrows gave you some nice links to check out to narrow down breeds. Don't forget to check the Breeds section for member reviews on a lot of breeds https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds Delawares are a great breed, the girls are usually really friendly and lay huge brown eggs. You also don't have to get all the same breed, as long as you get the same type of bird and get them about the same time/age and they grow up together they should get along with each other. Some other breeds to look at maybe, Orpingtons (lots of people really like these, great pets though broody), Australorps, Plymouth Rocks, Sussex, and Wyandottes are other popular breeds that are usually pretty easy to get along with, they all lay different shades of brown eggs. If you might like a colorful egg basket the Easter Egger, often sold as Ameraucana by hatcheries, are a fun breed because they usually lay green/blue eggs, and they tend to be very nice birds, and then there are the Welsummer and Marans which lay dark brown eggs.
Unless you are wanting to have fertile eggs, you really don't need a rooster, with a small flock you might like the extra hen for the extra eggs. If you do decide you want one later, it is usually not hard to integrate a roo into a flock of hens.
 
Thanks for the info!!!!!
I was also looking at Plymouth Rock, Naked Neck, Orpington and I saw on You tube Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock and Golden Sex link. I think I would like to have Delaware and then another so I do think the temperament would have to be equal and I will order them as chicks. I have been looking at Coops and there is not much online for 10 chickens and a way to get the eggs from behind the coop in case they are sitting on them (will avoid that Brooding if I can). I also would like something that can be cleaned the same way from behind and perhaps some kind of tray system.

Given your experience which two other would you go with that are similar to the Delaware?????? I do like the hardy and egg laying traits of that breed a lot as well as the lack of brooding and calmness.

Jennifer
 
Australorps are must haves for any flock. Very docile, friendly, great layers and hardy over all. Barred Rocks are similar to the Australorps. Wyandottes are a very nice breed to keep and very pretty as well.:)
 
Hi, Jennifer, welcome to BYC. Australorps, Orpingtons, a few EE for colored eggs, Naked Necks for bizarre, Leghorns for eggs, Delawares for sure, RIR, New Hampshires, Barred Rocks ---- just how big is your coop????
tongue.png
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom