Hi! I'm Amy and I live in the Bessemer area. I've been thinking of getting a few chickens for a couple of months and finally talked my husband into it with the help of a cute 3 year old boy who really wants some baby chicks. We just want 4 or 5 and they will be mainly pets but we want some eggs too. I've been looking at this site for a couple of days now trying to gather as much information as I can. We are going out of town the first week in July so we are going to spend the next month building a coop and run. We do not have chicks yet and I don't even know what kind I should get. I know our local feed store has some brought in every couple of weeks but I have no idea what kind they are. Does anyone have suggestions on which breed would be good pets with small children? Any other advise on building a coop here in Alabama or any other info. would be greatly appreciated. I've never had chicks or been around them much so this is very new to me.
Amp. North Jeff. Co here!
Everyone has their favorite breed. Some are considered to be more flighty than others and any breed can have a hostile rooster. Personally I like the larger breeds and find them to be calmer than the bantum breeds. I have a 3 and a 4 year old and they love all my birds.
Just about any breed would be ok as long as you spend a little time each day with them.
As far as your coop is concerned, you should take a look at the coop page here.
You can spend as much or as little as you like. You can buy all new materials or use salvage.
I think your consideration in building in our area should be overheating. We don't have to worry too much about the cold in winter. Include lots of ventilation. Shade trees outside the coop and run are also nice.
And one more time
I also have kids. I have had several different breeds. The kids seem to like the Ameraucanas(some folks call them EE's now) the best. They are sweet birds,
and they lay blue or blueish green eggs. They are different colors so the kids can tell them apart easier.
I have a 3 (almost 4 yr old), 1 yr old and one due at the end of the year. We would have lot's of time to spend with them so I'm excited. I called my local feed store a few minutes ago to see what breed they carry. They are sold out and would not get any more until next spring. The owner told me I probably wouldn't be able to find any until next spring. Is that normal? Will I be able to find someone selling babies in July?
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Probably not at a feed store. Many breeders also only hatch in spring. But you can find older ones here, and if you especially want babies, I'll hatch some for you or sell you some older ones whenever you need them. If you want chicks you will need to let me know about 30 days in advance so I can save eggs. I have pure Ameraucanas and I also have a mixed bag of hens crossed with ameraucana roosters for a grab bag type chicken that could lay blue, green, pink, brown, or white eggs. I'll send you a PM with my phone #.
