(I also posted this in an introductory thread this morning.)
Hi! I'm new to this stie and to chicken-keeping. i've done a little research, but I'm planning to learn a lot more in the coming couple months. I've recently begun planning my garden for next year and I want to include chickens in my plans this year. In addition to fresh, good-quality eggs, I think helping raise chickens will be good for my children. Teach them about raising some of their own food and all that.
My goal is to keep UP TO five birds, because that's the most the space allocated can handle. I've got the perfect place for their coop and I had planned on letting them be as free range as possible within the laws governing poultry-keeping in my city, since I live in town. I was already going to fence off and screen in my garden in an effort to keep rabbits and wild birds out, so I've designated a spot for the coop inside that fence. Built in protection from predators that way, and they'll still have access to bugs and plant stuff in the garden from dawn to dusk.
As for other considerations, I have had some trouble determining which breeds to get. I would like birds than can tolerate heat and humidity, are at least decent layers, aren't too aggressive and aren't too broody. I'll probably need at least two different breeds because I'd like a good mix of white and brown eggs (I use the shells for artwork after we eat the eggs and need both colors). I don't want to be dealing with hens that pick and fight at each other all the time, so not aggressive is probably more important than not broody. As for heat tolerant, I may be able to install a fan in the coop and there's part of the garden space that's shady due to the overhang of the house and some surrounding trees, but I don't want them to get heat stroke or anything. Flighty isn't much of an issue because they'll be in a screened in fence with a double-gated entry to reduce the risk of escape. (Also to keep the dogs and wild predators out to protect the hens and the plants.)
After reading the replies from my intro thread, I'm thinking about five different breeds that are heat-tolerant, according to mypetchicken.com. The ones on my list are the Leghorn and the Golden Campine (for white eggs), the Australorp and the Barred Plymouth Rock (for brown eggs) and maybe - if I can tweak the space requirements in the garden enough for five hens - an Easter Egger OR a Blue Ameraucana (for colored eggs). Would these birds do okay in an area where the climate is in the 80s in the spring, 90s in the summer, 70s in the fall and 50s in the winter?
I know Leghorns are reported to be flighty and possibly aggressive, so if that one won't do, is there another white egg-layer with good egg production that's heat-hardy, not too brody, etc?
