A newbie, howdy!

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Glad to meet you, Wanda. Getting local advice is always helpful and really useful. But, just in case you want to browse a bit more before deciding, here is a Chicken Pickin' table. I like it because it lists a LOT of characteristics of different breeds. You are at such a fun point in chicken adventures! Enjoy yourself.

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. All articles are short, have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments.

1. Intro to chicken keeping

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to chicken health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. Gardening for chickens

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
 
Welcome!

If eggs are your primary goal, Pearl Leghorns are hard to beat for egg production.
Two hens can give you a dozen eggs a week, at their peak production.
They are also well-suited to your climate.
They are the quintessential white chicken, so that's fun, visually.
They are on the smaller side of the full-sized bird spectrum and take up less space.
They eat a little less than larger birds.
They are alert for predators. If you free range at all, that's a plus.

Drawbacks -
They are flighty and a little on the nervous side (It's why they are good at being alert for predators). But if you want calm, quiet birds who love to follow you around, these are less likely to do so.
If you want them to reproduce, they are less likely to do so. They just don't like hanging around nests long enough to even think about being mothers.

leghorn.PNG
 
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