Going down the chicken road!

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Kateslee

Kateslee

Hatching
May 7, 2015
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Hi everyone!
I am about purchase some chickens. I have never raised chickens before; but, am excited about the prospect. I have a small mobile coop that can house 3-4 chickens. I would also like to allow the chickens to wander in my yard while I'm out with them. I do live in the woods so we have quite a few predators. Any recommendations as to the best breeds for laying, predator wariness and staying close to home?

Thanks for the input!

Kate
 


There are so many breeds to choose from, it can be hard to know just which is right for you - but a little more information can help us narrow the list. There is also a great tool here: https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_selector.html that can help
About how many eggs per week, total, do you need to get from your flock to meet your needs? What sort of climate do you live in? Do you have a preference on what color the eggs are - white, brown (dark or light, speckled or not), blue, green? Do you see yourself ever wanting to process and eat your birds?
 
So glad you joined us at Backyard chickens
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Hello Kate!
400

Welcome to BYC and the coop! There's a lot of great peeps here! Feel free to ask lots of questions. But most of all, make yourself at home. I'm so glad you decided to joined the BYC family. I have girls that are sexlinks and they are egg machines. That's the only hens I've had, so as far as other breeds, I can't help. Sorry. Good luck with your future chickens.
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Welcome to BYC, Kate. Glad you decided join our flock. X2 on the "chick selector" tool link that Ol Grey Mare left with you. Just be sure and click on "show more characteristics." Based on your criteria, I would suggest Black Sex Links (Black Stars) which are friendly and hardy, egg laying machines as well as good foragers and their dark coloring does not lend itself to being spotted by predators as easily as light colored birds. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds and hybrids), and they have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 eggs per hen per year. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Whatever breed or hybrid you decide to get, good luck with your flock.
 
Kateslee said:
Hi everyone!
I am about purchase some chickens. I have never raised chickens before; but, am excited about the prospect. I have a small mobile coop that can house 3-4 chickens. I would also like to allow the chickens to wander in my yard while I'm out with them. I do live in the woods so we have quite a few predators. Any recommendations as to the best breeds for laying, predator wariness and staying close to home?

Thanks for the input!

Kate
Click to expand...
Be careful not get too many chickens for your coop. Most standard sized hens need about 3 square feet of indoor floor space each. Most coop manufacturers overstate a coops capacity.
 

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