Hi all. This is my first post here but hubby and I have been reading/researching here for a long time. We will be 1st time chicken "parents" on Friday when our local feed store gets their chicks. We will be getting 10 chicks, 5 for us and 5 for my Dh's parents. We have the brooder box so we will be raising all of the chicks until my in-laws coop is ready. Anyway, we are trying to decide what type to get and I thought I'd ask for some suggestions here. I'd like to try a mixed flock so that we can see which works best for us. Plus, I love the look of a "rainbow" of chickens running around the yard! We live in the mountains of NorCal where the temps in winter can get down into the teens (the norm is in the 30's and 40's) so I'd like the girls to be somewhat winter hardy. We have 3 small children so they definetly need to be docile/friendly types too. (We plan on handling them A LOT!)We will be only keeping pullets as our neighbor has a roo and I don't think I can mentally handle more than one crowing all hours of the day. I think we will be getting at least one barred rock because both hubby and I think they are beautiful. We originally wanted silver-laced wyandottes but heard they can be boogers so maybe barred rocks would be better? I'd also like to try buff orpingtons. Anyone have any input for us? Thanks a bunch in advance!
Get at least one turken and a few orpingtons. Turkens although they have no feathers on their neck are cold and heat hardy.
Have you checked to see what breeds the store is ordering "extras" of? If you want to, you can call the hatchery they are getting the order from and add on your breeds. Then you are assured what you want. For eggs most people like the dual purpose ones like Barred Rock, Buff Orphington, Rhode Island Reds. Those are pretty common ones. I have Deleware, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Austrolorps, Barred Rock, and soon to add to the mix is my Rhode Island Reds. I live in Upstate NY so I needed cold hearty birds. BTW- the SLW are just aloof, not bad, just not friendly. My favorite is our Austrolorp.
Oh HI and welcome! I am not far from you...I am about 40 miles from NoCal. *waving* I have a little mixed flock and it is great. They are all cold hardy and fairly good layers. I have 2 black australorps...great girls. One is a sweetie and the other is a bit standoffish but okay when holding her. 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte (SLW) that is a mess! She is my stalker. Follows me everywhere, flys out of the brooder looking for me and a doll baby. Very sweet and wants to be held and be with me 24/7. I will admit, that while she is the smallest in the flock at present, she is second in command and takes very little off of the topdog. She can hold her own but with me and my daughter...mush. She will even fly over to my DH for attention. 1 Ameraucana (the green/blue) egg layer. She is precious. Very friendly, sweet, easy to handle and just a joy. 1 New Hampshire Red that is cautious and skittish but okay to handle and a is not aggressive. and last but not least...1 Light Brahma. Sweet, a bit aloof and screams like you are killing her when you pick her up but she loves the attention and being petted. All of these except the Ameraucana are brown egg layers and I could not imagine starting with a sweeter group. Pics of them as babies and now at almost 8 weeks... The Ameraucana is by far the sweetest little thing...she sleeps with my daughter every chance they get. I have to take her away and put her in the brooder...she even went to school with her last week for sharing day. I am getting ready to order Salmon Faverolles, Delawares, Ameraucanas, RIRs and Buffs/Stars.