Wanna be chicken girl

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Welcome to BYC!
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We're glad to have you.
 
wannabeefarmer said:
Really? Oh man idk what to do
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my father in law said he had roosters to protect the hens but he always had 50+ chickens not just a couple.
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There might be some protection value with game chickens, but with today's docile, high yield birds, roosters are basically worthless in that regard. In fact, the rooster himself is just as likely to become the prey as the hens.
 
Older roos have several advantages. First, you can ask the previous owner whether he's ever shown any aggression. You can also try to find out if he over mated any hens - there would be bald spots on the backs of some of the hens. They tend to get less clumsy as they get older, and better at "asking" the hen first instead of sneaking up on them, so that helps too. Also, if you're wanting him to protect the hens, an older more experienced roo can be more effective. It's not foolproof by any means, but he may help for that purpose.
 
Welcome to BYC
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Glad you joined the flock! I've always kept roosters with my flock and I really enjoy them. Some roosters are aggressive and some are absolute puppies, I've had both over the years and I'm happy to say the majority of my roosters were very nice, great with my young son (he's 8 now) and great with the hens. The benefit of having a rooster with the flock is fertile eggs, should you get a broody hen, or decide to incubate some eggs, and a good rooster will keep an eye out for predators and give you and the hens early warning. As for protection, it's not the norm, but I've seen two of my roosters attack predators (a mongoose and a dog) and chase them away from the hens in the past.

I see you are in Ohio, home of the wonderful Buckeye breed. If you are looking for a tough, good natured, dual purpose (egg and meat) breed I would definitely recommend Buckeyes. They are wonderful with children and just great to have around all round. If you are interested in this breed, check out the thread on them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/803253/the-buckeye-thread/2940_30#post_14219539 There are some breeders in your part of the state that would be happy to help you get some birds in Spring.

Enjoy the site!
 
Welcome to BYC! Another chicken you may want to consider is the Sex link. We have 3 Red Sex Link girls in our mixed flock and they are the friendliest, best laying chickens we have. They aren't a true breed but a hybrid. You may want to go to the Breed section of BYC to read reviews of the chickens you are interested in by other members.
 
TwoCrows said:
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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So glad you could join our community!

The average age for most chicken breeds to start laying is somewhere between 5 and 7 months of age. Their first few years are the best laying years and by the 4th year they can taper off.

Have you stopped by our learning center yet? Lots of helpful articles on all the aspects of keeping your birds...https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Lots of good layers out there. Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps, Plymouth Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes, Leghorns, Sexlinks, etc. All of these are also docile and friendly as well...Here is a nice breeds page that has some quick info on all the different breeds and their attributes....http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

I and a huge fan of sand!! Sand sand and more SAND! It is soft on the pads of the birds, stays dry when wet, repels flies, absorbs the poop and the smells, and what is really nice is you can hose it down in the summer time and it keeps the birds incredibly cool. Cool feet mean cooler birds! My birds never pant in the heat because the floor is so cool. I keep it in my coop, run and even nest boxes! Here is a good thread on sand and how it works...https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should

Make sure to cover your run when using sand.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!
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WOW! I would like to thank you for enlightening me on the use of sand. 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. I worry about them in the heat on those awful hot days, and muggy hot nights of summer!
Again, Thanks for the info
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