Considering chickens

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Are you crazy? do you really want chickens? I have five baby chicks, sitting on me right now.
one sitting on my head. All are Barred Plymouth Rocks. (I'm not kidding) I went insane four years ago just loving the feathered beasts!
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416bigbore said:
:welcome:woot:woot:celebrate:yesss:Hello and welcome to BYC, You found an Awesome poultry Forum to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members who are more then willing to jump in and help you with any questions you may have. :)

Doing your homework first will save you from a lot of this! :barnie:he You and your family will have lots of fun on your new adventure. Best of luck and please keep us all posted. :)
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Yes, the more I read the more I feel I need to read more! I worry I'm going to become so informed I'll scare myself out of the whole enterprise! Seriously, though, I'm not afraid of hard work and if I had more land and less proximate neighbors, I'd have a large wonderful flock in a heartbeat. It just keeps coming back to the noise issue for me. The upfront investment is large, so I don't want to end up having to give it all up after not long. Maybe I could try bantam cochins or bantam brahma, though what I'm gathering is that in a flock of hens without a rooster, somebody is going to be a loud and proud top hen. Thoughts? Reassurance?
 
Callender Girl said:
It sounds like you have already given a lot of thought to the chickens (that I believe) you will ultimately get. Congrats on doing your research and joining this group!

Have you checked out Craigslist? I have gotten four coops that way. The first two were homemade by people who clearly had skills I do not, and the cost was $100 for one and $150 for the other. My other two Craigslist coops were a prefab Urban Coop (not one I would buy again; I use it now as a brooder and/or quarantine coop) and the coop in my avatar, which has withstood half a tree falling on it and required as much cash as the other three altogether.

I have multiple coops and keep anywhere from three to six birds in each, and generally allow my girls to choose their own roommates, based on how they do with each other while free ranging. I think it helps to keep the peace among the flock.

However, if you choose to get two coops rather than one, you will have double the labor when it comes to feeding, watering and coop cleaning. Not so bad in the summer, not at all fun in the winter.

As far as the breeds you mentioned, my flock currently includes an Orp, two Easter Eggers and two Cochin Bantams -- and I adore all of them. The EE's take up less space than the Orpington as, obviously, do the Cochins. Of course, my tiny Bantams produce tiny eggs -- but there's the whole cuteness factor!

And, no matter what you learn about chickens, every one of them can have her own personality quirks, so be prepared. Also, be prepared to find out that for many people, there's no such thing as "just a chicken." You may fall in love.

Welcome to BYC; let us know what happens next!
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Thank you so much for this wonderful and generous response--it is good to soak in all the experience and advice of seasoned chicken keepers. I'm going to speak again to my potentially not-on-board neighbors, as it's been a few years since I mentioned the chickens to them and they gave their blessing. I got a dog in the meantime, which was distraction enough from the chicken-keeping dream. But now the dream is alive again! Meantime, the daughter of these neighbors has become a chicken farmer(!), but on a large plot of land miles from here. Perhaps that has swayed them one way or the other . . .
 
featherhead007 said:
Are you crazy? do you really want chickens? I have five baby chicks, sitting on me right now.
one sitting on my head. All are Barred Plymouth Rocks. (I'm not kidding) I went insane four years ago just loving the feathered beasts!
View attachment 2557702
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So you feel I'm over-thinking it? Very possibly true . . .
 
Penelopechick said:
Thank you so much for this wonderful and generous response--it is good to soak in all the experience and advice of seasoned chicken keepers. I'm going to speak again to my potentially not-on-board neighbors, as it's been a few years since I mentioned the chickens to them and they gave their blessing. I got a dog in the meantime, which was distraction enough from the chicken-keeping dream. But now the dream is alive again! Meantime, the daughter of these neighbors has become a chicken farmer(!), but on a large plot of land miles from here. Perhaps that has swayed them one way or the other . . .
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p.s. no such luck here in Vermont on Craigslist or FB marketplace coops, but I'll keep looking. The cheapest used one is $800 and looks a bit beaten up.
 
Penelopechick said:
Yes, the more I read the more I feel I need to read more! I worry I'm going to become so informed I'll scare myself out of the whole enterprise! Seriously, though, I'm not afraid of hard work and if I had more land and less proximate neighbors, I'd have a large wonderful flock in a heartbeat. It just keeps coming back to the noise issue for me. The upfront investment is large, so I don't want to end up having to give it all up after not long. Maybe I could try bantam cochins or bantam brahma, though what I'm gathering is that in a flock of hens without a rooster, somebody is going to be a loud and proud top hen. Thoughts? Reassurance?
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My hens are squawking up a storm right now. They can certainly be louder than a roo, but still a barking dog is louder then them. More importantly, they don't go at it constantly, just when something riles them up.

For your coop, have you considered a shed conversion?
 
:welcome :frow I can't really add anything that hasn't been said. Everyone is different as well as their situations. Once you start to get some eggs, offer your neighbors some. I raise chickens for exhibition/showing at poultry show. It will be good for your kids too. They may get involved in 4H if they aren't already. Years ago I raised certain breeds for the local 4H kids. Check out the BYC coop page and it may give you some ideas. Good luck with your future flock and have fun...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/chicken-coops.12/
 

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