Hello,
I am new to the forums and I'm not sure if this is the right section for this post so if it isn't please forgive me.
I am looking into getting some chickens for a farm I am planing to start in six months time. I would like to have chickens that lay different colors of eggs. I am having some trouble figuring out which chickens I need to get to accomplish this goal.
Does anyone have an egg color chart that shows the different colors of eggs? How about a chart showing the different colors of chickens?
I realize that not all chicken breeds play nicely together and I was wondering if there was a special type of coop set up that I could get that would allow me to raise many different kinds of chickens. My farm is going to be located in central Florida and there are concerns of animals like poisonous snakes, stray gators (Lakes are LOADED with them and although I am not located near a lake they do wander and sometimes travel through drainage ditches and storm gutters or are dropped off by people who kept them as pets etc. and I don't want to take changes! With that said I would not feel comfortable free ranging these birds but I do want to give them a large enclosure where they would have more than plenty of space to roam around. My budget is $1,500 to construct a custom coop to keep the chickens in.
The chickens are being raised for eggs and manure only. I don't have it in my heart to kill chickens despite being a lady from the deep south that loves fried chicken, cornbread and sweet tea.
A small flock of 12-14 birds is what I am looking to keep.
I know that I would like to have white, blue, and chocolate colored eggs. I am not sure what other color eggs exist but I have seen some that are green, pinkish and plum colored eggs. I think there may also be some that are orange and yellow but I am not certain. I would like to have a rainbow of colors.
For blue eggs I would like to go with Blue Wheaten Ameraucana Chickens. I do have some questions about them. I have been told that true Ameraucana chickens lay only blue eggs and not green eggs. Is this true? I know that I want the true breed and not easter egger chickens. How can I be certain of purchasing true Ameraucana chickens? Do chickens have pedigrees like dogs and rabbits do? What can I expect to pay for a show quality Blue Wheaten Ameraucana Chicken? How many years do they lay eggs?
I am a first time chicken keeper but a life long pet owner and I believe that the care of the animals comes first and foremost. I have special concerns about the Florida heat as well. Are there any breeds that are especially well suited to the climate here and is there a way that I can keep the coop cool and ventilated for them? Are there special needs that I haven't considered?
I have lots of questions.
I am new to the forums and I'm not sure if this is the right section for this post so if it isn't please forgive me.
I am looking into getting some chickens for a farm I am planing to start in six months time. I would like to have chickens that lay different colors of eggs. I am having some trouble figuring out which chickens I need to get to accomplish this goal.
Does anyone have an egg color chart that shows the different colors of eggs? How about a chart showing the different colors of chickens?
I realize that not all chicken breeds play nicely together and I was wondering if there was a special type of coop set up that I could get that would allow me to raise many different kinds of chickens. My farm is going to be located in central Florida and there are concerns of animals like poisonous snakes, stray gators (Lakes are LOADED with them and although I am not located near a lake they do wander and sometimes travel through drainage ditches and storm gutters or are dropped off by people who kept them as pets etc. and I don't want to take changes! With that said I would not feel comfortable free ranging these birds but I do want to give them a large enclosure where they would have more than plenty of space to roam around. My budget is $1,500 to construct a custom coop to keep the chickens in.
The chickens are being raised for eggs and manure only. I don't have it in my heart to kill chickens despite being a lady from the deep south that loves fried chicken, cornbread and sweet tea.
A small flock of 12-14 birds is what I am looking to keep.
I know that I would like to have white, blue, and chocolate colored eggs. I am not sure what other color eggs exist but I have seen some that are green, pinkish and plum colored eggs. I think there may also be some that are orange and yellow but I am not certain. I would like to have a rainbow of colors.
For blue eggs I would like to go with Blue Wheaten Ameraucana Chickens. I do have some questions about them. I have been told that true Ameraucana chickens lay only blue eggs and not green eggs. Is this true? I know that I want the true breed and not easter egger chickens. How can I be certain of purchasing true Ameraucana chickens? Do chickens have pedigrees like dogs and rabbits do? What can I expect to pay for a show quality Blue Wheaten Ameraucana Chicken? How many years do they lay eggs?
I am a first time chicken keeper but a life long pet owner and I believe that the care of the animals comes first and foremost. I have special concerns about the Florida heat as well. Are there any breeds that are especially well suited to the climate here and is there a way that I can keep the coop cool and ventilated for them? Are there special needs that I haven't considered?
I have lots of questions.