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LauraLGeorgia

Chirping
Jul 17, 2024
7
65
51
Cartersville Georgia
I've never lived in a home where I could raise chickens until now. I am very excited to start this project, probably in the spring of 25. We haven't even moved into the house yet but I am already researching how I'm going to have chickens! I'm in the very beginning learning stages and want to educate myself before I start. I will be picking everyone's brains to figure out what kind and how many chickens, plans on how to build a coop, how to care for and maintain healthy chickens, and I'm sure so many more questions I haven't even thought of! I am in Georgia and it gets very hot here. I do have a couple of friends that have successfully raised chickens and will be recruiting their help as well. Looking forward to meeting everyone and growing my knowledge base of all things chicken!
 
Hi you won’t regret it they become addictive , snd relaxing to sit and watch ,
there so friendly!
they know when you are comeing out to give them treats ,
and follow you around ,
in there pack it’s so cute ☺️
you probably will start with a small amount ,
then just add and add there is so many beautiful breeds to get .
my favourite are Cochins
there gorgeous
I have 11 started chickens all mixed breeds
started with two !
then added four!
then added 5 😂 see addictive
could not help my self they all have old lady names

Advice Start with a bigger coop then you will need !
as you will get the bug ,
to get more chickens
my mistake at first was getting a small house , I had to quickly think it through ,and get a bigger one ,more space the better keep us updated on what you get pictures ect you will learn so much on here , I definitely have ,
I new nothing about them when I got them
so lost a few to illness but since being on here, I now have learned what to look out for,
you have to become your own vet
Have fun choosing your chickens x
 
LauraLGeorgia said:
I've never lived in a home where I could raise chickens until now. I am very excited to start this project, probably in the spring of 25. We haven't even moved into the house yet but I am already researching how I'm going to have chickens! I'm in the very beginning learning stages and want to educate myself before I start. I will be picking everyone's brains to figure out what kind and how many chickens, plans on how to build a coop, how to care for and maintain healthy chickens, and I'm sure so many more questions I haven't even thought of! I am in Georgia and it gets very hot here. I do have a couple of friends that have successfully raised chickens and will be recruiting their help as well. Looking forward to meeting everyone and growing my knowledge base of all things chicken!
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To start, you should see what the minimum amount of chickens is that you are required to purchase. In Ohio, it is 6. If your state has no minimum, I think between 4 and 6 is good for the first generation. For a beginner flock, I would recommend Silkies, Plymouth Barred Rocks, Orpingtons, and Easter eggers/ Americanas.(same thing, but one has a fluffy face. Basically what happens when a true Ameracauna jumps the fence, and now they’ve got to put something on the breed label other than “mixed”)

The most important things I have to say from experience are:

1. Rhode Island Reds can be docile, but most strains I encountered were prone to aggressive behavior. The roosters are also possessive of hens, rather than protective, and tend to rip more feathers out when breeding, as compared to my Plymouth.

2 if you want small hens, get Bantam. I recently rehomed my quail, because I had too many roosters and they would have killed each other. I got fed up with it and gave away all 3 roosters and 2 hens. It was better financially than buying 10 hens and another coop. Chicken politics are complex, but nowhere near quail.

3. Depending on budget and materials, it is usually cheaper to get a whole bunch of dudes to build a coop, instead of trying to buy one. My mom only needed to go get some free secondhand wood pallets, then wrap it in chicken wire and put a roof on it. My stepdad was able to make a simple sliding door. If you can, build your own.

4. Pullet is never absolute. About one tenth of the pullets are improperly labeled, so if you don’t want roosters get pullet, but it’s still a good idea to have a rehoming plan. Also, if you do want roosters, you need at least 5 or 6 hens for the first, and add 10 hens per rooster after that. If they free range, it is better, but if they are confined in a small yard or run, I would suggest not getting more than 2 boys, as they can be territorial during spring and summer.

Hopefully this helps! :)
 
Congratulations on doing your research BEFORE you get chickens! Many of us could have benefited from doing things that way :)

You've already gotten some good advice. One thing I would encourage is to find out if there are any vets in the area that treat poultry. It's fairly common to find out -- during an emergency, especially -- that neither small animal vets nor large animal vets will see your chickens. While there are lots of injuries and ailments you can deal with on your own, sometimes medical intervention is necessary.

Even if you don't order chicks from them, you can get free hatchery catalogs (both Murray McMurray and Hoover's, for example) that have icons indicating a breed's tendency toward hardiness in either cold or hot weather. Here in northern Iowa, I always check for winter hardiness, which isn't likely to be your concern in Georgia! And, I've raised lots of chickens that "officially" weren't winter hardy, but did fine anyway. It's just a guideline.

This is a great community of folks who are always available to answer questions and offer advice. Enjoy your research and planning, and welcome to BYC!
 

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