Can people who never touched a chicken raise chickens!?

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

As you can see I'm new to this! I have never touched a chicken before but I would love to have a few now that we moved on to our 20 acre's! Is there anyone else out there who is very new to chickens!? We LOVE fresh farm eggs and would love to be able to have them whenever we want rather then have to search down a farm who sells them and HOPE that they have some available! Once you get a taste of those fresh eggs there IS not going back! I'm sure all of you would agree on that one! So now here I am...waiting for my chicks to arrive after ordering them from Ideal poultry. We are only planning on keeping a dozen out of the 24 that we are getting. HOW will I choose? I have no clue! I am hoping to learn a lot from this forum. Wish me luck! We do have our brooder box all ready and waiting for my chicks

Now we just have to build a hen house.

 

[CarriBrown]

You've never touched a chicken but you're addicted already. Our work at BYC is done.

You're going to love your little ones! What breeds did you get? And don't forget to post pictures when they come!

Welcome to the fourm, BTW!

 

[EweSheep]

Welcome! And you wont stop with ONE LOL!

 

[eggzettera]

Good luck, they are just as easy if not easier then you dogs & cats only real problem is predators, you here so you are on the right track....

 

[WillsMama93]

I am a total chicken Newb (as my son would say) I didn't even want chickens, but my son kept pestering me to get them, and so I did a little research, and found out that the local feed store was carrying some, and so we went to look.. and it's been an addiction every since. We got our first chicks on Good Friday (March 21).. wow, one month ago TODAY.. it's my chicken anniversary!! I didn't even realize!! WOW!

No, seriously, it can be done. My chicks are happy and healthy, and I love them to pieces!

Good luck with your babies, you're gonna be a great chicken addict!!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Here is the list of the ones I got...let me tell ya I did SO much research it's crazy. I wanted winter hardy, docile, and good egg layers. However...I did get a cochin because I read made up fairy tales to my little boy who's 3 and one of them had a black hen named Lily

So now we will have our lily come May! The others i got are 2 Barred Rock, 3 Sex Links each of the black, brown and gold. 3 Ameraucanas, 3 salmon Faverolle, 2 silver laced Wyandotte, one Ameraucana Roo and a pair of Red Shoulder Yokohama which I am selling. We are only PLANNING on keeping 12 lol Lets home we do that. I am so hooked already and I can't seem to wait for them to arrive. My hubby is taking off work to go with me to the post office. I can't go by myself in case some have died in transit! I have a chicken journal that I have been keeping all my info in if anyone is interested they can check it out. http://journals.aol.com/breakaway1968/hangin-wit-my-peeps/ Hope I did the links right!~ Thanks all for your feed back!

 

[Tutter]

Congratulations!

Did you get sexed chicks, or straight runs? If they are straight runs, then it will be easier, you'll keep the females. Just wait until you can be sure which are which, and sell the males.

If they are all females, I would wait a little while. Sometimes you will have a loss. And, too, you will see their personalities. Keep the ones which appeal to you personality-wise. It may be that you won't prefer one of the breeds compared to the others, or maybe there is an individual who is a disruptive force.

Of course, don't feel badly if, in the end, they all stay.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Did you get sexed chicks, or straight runs? If they are straight runs, then it will be easier, you'll keep the females.

I got all pullets so I hope they come that way! lol I did get two males but am only keeping one! I told my hubby that we should wait but he thinks that our hen house will be to small. Does anyone know the ideal sq foot per bird when making a hen house?​

 

[tx_dane_mom]

Just seeing your topic made me LOL...I remember just over a year ago when I went to get my 1st chickens and I was TeRRifieD of them! My husband (who was raised w/farm animals) made me catch the last 2 of the 9 we got and I was trippin out! I grew up w/my grandma who raised cockatiels so I just KNEW these BIG birds were going to attack me like the cockatiels did, and like the Macaw did at my petstore job in HS.
Ahhh memories...

 

[wynedot55]

they say hens need 4sqft pre bird.so if i was you id build a 12 by 12 coop.that give you room for 40 hens.