Brand new to this chicken business

[JustCallMeMoe]

Hey all! My name is Monique but everyone calls me Moe. I'm really excited (and nervous) to start raising chickens! I haven't bought any yet but the local supply store gets some in February/March. If you have any suggestions on winter hardy, friendly breeds, that would be appreciated! I have 3 kids 5 and under so it would be nice if the hens were friendly. I'm in the process of building my own coop that we are going to put under the deck out back. We are going to try to be as "free range" as possible, but I don't feel comfortable letting them roam the yard without supervision.
Any tips of the trade would be appreciated!

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Welcome to BYC Moe!

For advice on raising chickens, you should check out the BYC learning centre, there is tons of great information there :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/

I have also linked an article of the pros and cons of Free-ranging chickens :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/free-range-vs-chicken-run

There are tons of great docile chicken breeds for beginners. Such as red and black sex-links, Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds.

 

[drumstick diva]

Nice to meet you Moe, glad you joined us at Backyard chickens. Are you interested primarily in laying breeds or meat birds, or both? If you join your state thread you can communicate with others who know what succeeds in your climate, etc.

 

[CherriesBrood]

Hello and
We are glad you joined us!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[N F C]

Hi Moe,

There's an excellent article in the Learning Center on how to select the breeds of chickens that best suit your needs:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...cken-guide-to-picking-backyard-chicken-breeds

Hope it helps!