First chicken purchase

[tmmullis]

OK, I've been reading alot of information on chickens on the internet and I'm still lost. I want to start raising chickens for the first time, but I'm not for sure what I want, do I want hens, roosters, male, or females. I am really at a lost, I didn't realize how much information and different types of chickens there were. I am wanting to raise them for their eggs. Can anyone make any suggestions for me. I was thinking about starting out with around 10 chickens. Is this a reasonable number to start off with or should I start off with a smaller amount???? Can I vary the breeds, or will this be too much chaos on the chickens?? I was reading a site earlier and it sort of stated not to get them from a local feed store, is this true? Should I do the mail order? Has anyone read that book Raising Chickens for Dummies, maybe all my answers will be in that book, might try to find it tomorrow at the library, but for now any help would greatly be appreciated

 

[AnastasiaY]

This is my first time raising chickens too!

How much space do you have? This will affect how many you can keep.
Pets or just egg laying workers? This will affect breeds you choose.
Can you keep loud animals? This will affect Roo or Hen.

Most breeds get along fine, and I got my chicks from the Feed Store and they're fine, but i'm sure mail order is just as fine.

And from Washington!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

Feed store chickens are usually Hatchery birds ( Mt. Healthy, Ideal etc.) that have been mailed to the store. So you've got a better chance of those being survivors than if you order your own from a hatchery because the feed store has already 'removed' the sick or dead ones from the box. If you want eggs, you want hens. and probably not any roosters to start with. I advise you pick up 6 sex links (Golden comets, amberlink, red sex links, black sex links etc.) and plan on next season expanding your flock if you want. Be sure you've got a brooder set up before you go buy them, and that the temp inside (on paper towels or puppy pee pee pads) is warm enough 95 degrees. The sex links tend to lay earlier and better than most other breeds... and are gentle and all around wonderful birds. ( i just picked up 6 new ones!)

 

[Nostalchic]

Keep reading on this site, obsessively! If you question something, do a search here and read through some of the answers. There is super good advice here, and some a little iffy, and you'll need to sort it out a little to figure out what's what. Also take a look at My Pet Chicken, which has a good tool for selecting breeds of chickens suitable for what your intentions are, and McMurray's site also has breed reviews and good descriptions. I haven't seen the 'Chicken for Dummies' book but there are lots of 'How To' books out there, and the more you read, the more you'll accumulate the knowledge you need to be successful. Some of your chickens will die, or get sick, or attack you (ok, roosters) and you need to be prepared for that, too. But it's great experience and satisfying on so many levels, good luck.

 

[Dora'smom]

Try looking in a reference book, or on feather site, or at the breed index here. You are fine buying birds from your local feed store as long as they look healthy. Try to decide exactly how many birds you want to start with, and some of the characteristics you would like to have in your birds. Do you want white eggs? Brown eggs? Blue and green eggs? What size eggs do you want? Do you want specific breeds? If you want large brown eggs, there are a number of breeds to choose from. Will your birds be enclosed in a coop and run or will they forage? In breed descriptions, you will find generalized personality traits, but birds have their own personalities within the breed, so use it as a general suggested personality type only.
I don't have any white egg-layers, so someone else can chime in with suggestions on that, but I have brown egg-layers. I have one Buff Orpington, and she is a nice bird, and a regular layer. The Rhode Island reds that I have are egg laying machines, but they are agressive little things. The Barred Rocks are big, beautiful birds, and they are very regular layers as well. The personalities I love best are my Easter Eggers. Dora lays a beautiful mint green, and Muffy lays an olive colored egg. My Black Australorp is a sweetie, too, and lays nicely. Having sexlinks is fine, but you might have fun with a little more variety, and this is the time of year when many breeds are locally available.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I would do some research on the breed search tool that was just released here on BYC to pick the attributes you like best.

I don't see anything wrong with getting a couple of several breeds to see what you really like. Then you can add more of what you like. It'll be a good learning experience. Chickens always are.

Welcome to BYC! And welcome to chickens!

It's great to have you!