DH has a friend whose adult daughter has a blue Cochin rooster with blue and speckled Cochin hens and blue, speckled, buff and partridge Orpington hens. We get the bator good, she will send us 36 eggs to try it out! All because DH went to get a PC fan!
Home eggs, yard art, fun learning for the kids, that range. Eggs are cheapest, which is a plus. Also, lets the kids learn about some biology, always good.
Would it be best to start with hatching eggs, chicks or the point of lay pullets? I know with eggs, we will get roosters, but my DH says he would process any that we can't keep. Kids want to watch eggs hatch, so that sounds fun.
I am reading away here, learning what I can. Right now the favorite pictures, we keep coming to Brahmas, Cochins, Orpingtons and Salmon Favorelles. Any of those that wouldn't go together or would be bad with kids?
Hope everyone feels better soon! DH got a free gazebo thing - 12 sides, 8 foot each side. I am leaving it to him to figure out how to enclose it. Erm, that will hold too many chickens. Oh well. Scout and Wes were helping dig in the plywood pile.
Thanks everyone! I love GPs, but don't have the time to train one well. It's the female Basenji who just is the problem. She is a ton of work to keep civil.
Ok Orpingtons or Brahmas. What about Cochins who I like the fluff on, but do the foot feathers get insanely filthy? What about Plymouth Rocks, they have pretty colors also. Think we want yard art vs fancy, and no bantams.
Ok, we are down to Wyandottes or Orpingtons, I think. Are those good options around kids? The kids are ok with the guineas, but I don't let the guineas out of their pen unless I am out with everyone.
I have a rowdy 8 DD, 7 DS, 6 DD and 3 DS, plus 11 weeks pregnant. No sure roosters mix with that. The guineas just showed up, thought the porch was home, they are docileish and tame. So DH made his shed into a guinea coop.
Does Gage county NE count as close enough to KS to join in? 8 guineas so far, getting chickens in spring. I think we will just get hens, little kids here and I don't think roosters and kids are good together.