Brand new at this and need some opinions

[Tkemp]

Hello everyone,

I am brand new and this venture and trying to get myself in the right direction. I am looking at free range chickens and just wondering on what is recommended. I would like to have a frequent layer for year round and also ones that don't disappear as easily. I am thinking I would start off with at least 6-8 chickens.

Thanks for reading my post,

Toby

 

[jenifry]

I love my Rhode Island Red hens. I get a nice brown egg every day! My Wyandotte are a little older, but they still lay every other day. Reds can be aggressive though, so I wouldn't put them in a mixed flock with more docile birds like Orpington. My dad swears by his Australorp, and my grandma Barred Rock. You are going to probably get a MILLION different answers here, as we all like what we like for our own reasons! Welcome to BYC!

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[gander007]

great to have you on board

I see you have spent some time thinking this whole thing
though ........
Are you planning on getting chicks to start or full grown ?????
And have you a coop yet ???????


gander007

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! Unfortunately with free ranging you are going to lose chickens to predators, no way around that. I would post in this forum for best results: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/2/managing-your-flock good luck to you.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello Welcome to BYC and Happy Holidays! The Henderson chicken breed chart also compares a lot of popular breeds. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html#j

 

[rockinpaints]

Cheers from Ohio!

Glad you could join us!

and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

[1muttsfan]

Free ranging birds are at a high risk of predation. Birds that are wary and better fliers would be your best bet, not slow and easy going birds like Orps. I also like the Henderson chicken chart, it does talk about those kinds of characteristics.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

 

[lazy gardener]

Do the chart! What part of the country are you in? What are your temps? If you have cold winters, you might consider pea or rose combed birds. Darker colored, barred and cuckoo patterned birds are reported to be better camouflaged and thus less prone to predator attack. I've also heard that super tame/friendly birds are more at risk to predators. Will you have a mixed flock, or all one breed? If a mixed flock, be sure the breeds you choose are all docile. I'd recommend that you get birds that are not reported to be flighty, though the flighty ones might do better where predators are concerned. Just might be more difficult to manage. What are you planning for a coop set up? Will you have a run? Will it be covered on the top? Without a run, be prepared for some serious losses to predators.

Personal experience: RIR = aggressive, dominant. EE = somewhat flighty, but I love them. Quirky personalities. My neighbor's EEs chase robins out of their pasture. Leg horns = prone to frost bite. Excellent layers, flighty. Sex-links = Excellent layers. Dominiques = excellent foragers, pack leaders in trying new experiences.