Hello - 1st post - Need some help! - Newbie.

[smith2]

Another thought about orps. I have had trouble with my orps molting because of the heat. If you get orps, you might want to start with a utility strain instead of a show strain. Utility strains have less feathering and seem to do better in the heat. They also lay better than the show strains.

 

[hcammack]

I am not sure about your breeds I am not sure how orphs will do in allot of heat they are heavily feathered birds. The recemendation is about 10 hens per rooster ! because rooster will injure the hens by overbreeding them. I have a mixed flock with no rooster so I am not sure about breeding. Mine are just for eggs. You can eat fertile eggs though. when a hens wants to raise a family she will stop laying eggs so with only two hens you may not get enough eggs for yourself and/ or your family. I would start off with 10 hens and a rooster.

Just my opinion,
Henry

 

[BackyardBirds720]

Okay, so 10 hens per rooster! Goodness, that is an awful lot.

I want a rooster so badly - but not 10 hens... but if that is what's required then I am all for the well being of the animals.

Maybe I should just start out with hens...

Again, thanks (to all) so much for all the help so far.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have buff orpingtons in my beginner flock (as well as welsummers, wyandottes, Easter Eggers/Ameracanas, silkies, polish and mille fleurs!). Of the three, only one is really friendly. That one is superduper friendly. She flys up to my lap every evening when I sit in the run. She just settles down, fluffs out and chirps quietly to herself. Such a sweetie! The orps have lots of really fluffy feathers. She's very soft. The other chickens have feathers that lay down along their bodies. The buff orps all stand out a bit. They look about twice as big as their bodies really are.
At least one of the other two is a rooster. I can't tell yet on the third. The rooster and third are both a little stand-offish. They never purposely fly up into my lap. If I snag them, they will eventually settle down and let me keep a hand on them. But they are not especially friendly.
Here's a pic of the rooster at age 5.5 weeks-

My wyandottes are busy little chickens. They will fly up to see what I"m doing (nosy!) but they never really stick around or want to be petted. They're fun to watch though and very pretty.

The friendliest two in my lot are the buff orp hen and the mille fleur rooster. I can count on both to sit for a while in the evening. The others kind of come and go. The shyest three are buff orps and an Easter Egger. All 17 chicks were handled daily from day one. I think it just comes down to individual personality.

I have no experience with Australorps or Brahmas (although my mille fleurs and silkies have feathered feet). I too recommend getting a mix initially so you can see which ones you like best. I have found that the ones I enjoy most right now are not the ones I thought I would. Also, I didn't order any roosters and I ended up with two, perhaps three. You just never really know what you're going to get unless you get them as mostly grown chickens.

Good luck! I just got into it too after years of research. You're going to have a blast!

 

[greyhorsewoman]

With just a couple of hens, I'd hold off on a rooster. If one of your hens goes broody, you can always buy some fertile eggs to put under her.

 

[BackyardBirds720]

Quote:
That sounds like a good idea but...

1) Where do I find fertile eggs?
2) How can you tell if a hen goes broody?

I think I might get two hens to start with, and then grow out from there. Two seems good just to start out with (baby steps).

I think I have decided on the Buff Orpingtons - unless someone wants to differ with me and give me a good reason to go with another breed.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

1) Where do I find fertile eggs?

Here! (check forum .. lots of folks on BYC sell eggs), Eggbid.com or Ebay, both have auctions/buy it nows for fertile eggs.

2) How can you tell if a hen goes broody?

You'll have a hen 'stuck' in her nest. You won't have to ask if she is broody ... you'll know!

Sounds like you have the right idea. Start slow, small. Get to know a bit and read and experience and then you'll probably get totally addicted like so many others here! Watch out!​

 

[BackyardBirds720]

Alright, so I am going to get a few Buff Orpington Hens (no roosters - just hens)

Is two hens enough - or does there need to be like three? (I just want them to be comfortable)

Also, what kind of food should I get them (I have a few local feed stores around my area).

What vaccines should I worry/ask about.

How much should I look to pay for a two young Buff Opr hens?

Thanks for the help!

-BB720

 

[Bricheze]

I'm new and I think I'm going to get an Australorp as a pet. I heard they are really good egg layers (One a day per chicken) One holds the record for like laying 356 eggs in a year or something... the one I'm considering is a rooster, I think it might be castrated because it is a very gently and nice little dude, and he fell asleep in my arms... so the one I'M looking at is nice to humans but, I'm not sure about others....

 

[WisconsinChick]

Roosters cant really be castrated because they ... well nvm but they cant be. And chickens need to be in pairs or flocks. 2 roosters cant be together and they need to have at least 10 hens per rooster so I hope you weren't talking about having just 1 chicken.