Good morning newbie family in Merriam KS

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3riverschick said:
well first you need to find an egg layer you like which is not flighty so it can also be a pet. Some of the top egg layers like Leghorns can be flighty and don't make the best pets.
what color do you want? large or bantam size? Like lots of color in the chickens? looking for what color eggs? do you want a rooster? you can have eggs without one.
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if you want colored eggs here's how it works. Easter eggers and Ameraucana and Araucanas ay blue or olive color eggs. other breeds like Marans lay dark brown eggs. mix a brown and a blue egg layer and the kids lay green eggs. the darker eggs the parents layer the darker green eggs the kids will lay.
dark brown eggs...Welsummers and Marans
blue eggs Ameraucanas....
white eggs, take your pick.
green eggs, Easter eggers with the proper parents ( ask the breeder).
all of these breeds are known to have friendly strains and the breeds as a whole are known to be friendly.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1035919/total-egg-color-discussion-who-lays-what-colors

Find a breeder, all of these Clubs should have a Breeder's Directory. :
http://www.ameraucana.org/
http://www.maransofamericaclub.com/
http://www.maranschickenclubusa.com/
Welsummer Club of North America : http://wcna.webs.com/home.htm
http://www.araucana.net/
 
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Dani4Hedgies said:
Karen,
I really like the colorful and rare breeds I know I want some EE some Corbins speckled and Top Hats. Was thinking to go with MCMURRAY mixed colorful and rare hens only which I could get delivered end of Jan. I was just trying to decide which is easier starting with chicken now. Worry about losing them due to weather or just go with the rare mixed pullets in Jan but even then we normally have snow here through March so ya just not sure which would be easiest as a first time chicken mommy.
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I am not familiar with these rare breeds. I guess it depends on who has them. If you like the write-ups on the breeds then try and buy from a breeder because , if they are serious, they will be trying to breed to the Standard for that breed. Which means the birds should be closer in kind to the words you are reading I the write-ups on the breeds. poultry are different in breeding than mammals because there are a lot of sex-linked genes. So it does make a difference if you buy from a hatchery which is producing numbers , in the last analysis...or a breeder who is working to stabilize the gene pool in their flock so it will consistently produce quality members of the breed. if the breed is rare, buy the very best members you can find , if you plan on selling eggs or chicks. Often gene pools are small in rare breeds and what the breed needs to hold the line, or progress, is quality members added to the population.
On the rooster, yes, they can be studded. if you have a friend or a breeder willing to do this. Someone who can own the roos in exchange for some chicks later on. You can take the hens to the rooster and leave them with him for 2 days. He will mate them and they will lay fertile eggs by him for up to 2 weeks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/437570/old-and-rare-breeds
 
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Awesome thank you so much for all the info I took your suggest and looked into hens that hatched out this spring and found a local breeder who is downsizing and has the ones Im after in his downsize adoptable onces. Soo his wife is sending me pictures so I can chose my birds and then go down weekend of Halloween to pick them up. Can't wait to share the pictures with everyone as well as our adventure into the wonderful world of backyard chickens.
-Dani
 
Hi Dani, nice to meet you. It's great that you found some chickens. Hope you will update and let us know what you got. Welcome to Backyard chickens.
 
Thank you everyone for your wonderful welcoming Im so glad I found this forum. Now I don't want to keep clogging up the into thread but Im trying to find out about ground cover in my coop for the winter and the different food options is there a "Basic started forum" on here that has these answers im on my phone so hard to move around the forum ? I have the most recent copy is Chicken for Dummies but i know books can say one thing and another is better. Thank you
 
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We also started with started birds as some others suggested. Given that winters around here can get to -30 degrees below zero with the windchill, we have only done chicks in spring and summer, but I know others around us that will hatch chicks during all seasons if they are properly set up for it. Do you feel like you are currently set up to care for chicks/younger birds during winter in Kansas?
 
For chicks nope for young egg laying hens yes I believe so. I already have an aviary vet a coop for 6 hens with nest boxes and picking up a 10X10 dog kennel on Monday which will be wrapped with plastic as well as the pink form installation chicken feed on the way 3,000 mealies on the way hay and pine chips on the way. Water nipples and bird bath heater on the way. Plans for pvc feeder which hubby and I will put together this week.
 

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