Hello from Maine!

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MrsJoJo

MrsJoJo

In the Brooder
5 Years
Jun 20, 2014
23
0
22
Small town, Maine
Hello everyone!

I've been on and looking around BYC for awhile now, but have never worked up the nerve to make my first post.. eek! After researching and learning about having backyard chickens for months now, I've finally convinced my husband and family we should dive right in this spring. We've started our brooder and decided to order our day-old chickens online for February. Soon after, the coop will be up and running. I have my heart set on a few Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Speckled Sussex, and a few Easter Eggers. We will be doing this primarily for eggs and a learning experience for our 6 year old. I think I've got a good handle already what I'll be jumping into - but I'm open to hearing from all the chicken experts on this site! Is there any advice you would pass on to this expecting chicken mama? Ideas on how my dream mixed flock will turn out? Hope to get to know some people on here - I already know how addicting this site can be
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Hello, and welcome to BYC!
Yes, it is very addicting... and everyone is here to help, so don't be afraid to ask!
My experience with mixed flocks is sometimes bullying can go on due to different sizes and personalities, but that might just be me.
Have a Merry Christmas and good luck with your flock!
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:)
 
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Welcome to BYC. I'm glad you decided to join our flock. That's a nice mix of breeds that you're getting. I've had all four of them, and they are all generally docile breeds, and since you are going to be raising them together, you shouldn't have any aggression problems with them (outside of the normal pecking order). Buff Orpingtons and Speckled Sussex are especially calm and gentle birds; my children made lap pets of them. Just make sure that your coop/runs are large enough. I would suggest building them as large as you can afford and have the space for. The recommended minimum coop space is 4 sq. ft. per floor space for each bird and 10 sq. ft. of ground space for each bird for the run. Overcrowding can quickly cause aggression, fights, biting and feather plucking, and even cannibalism (even with the most gentle breeds). Also, if there are any kind of predators in your area (even dogs, cats, and rats), use hardware cloth rather than chicken wire as there are too many predators that can either tear through chicken wire or pass through the openings in the mesh. Hardware cloth is more expensive than chicken wire, but it's cheaper than replacing your flock. It has saved many chicken owners a lot of tears. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in getting your flock.
 
Thanks everybody for the warm welcoming! Thank you CrazyChookz for the advice, I was worried about how much bullying there would be. I want silkies but I've heard mixed views on mixing bantams and LF - I decided I'd put it off until next year until I gained a little bit more experience
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. And great advice Micheal! My dream coop is to be a 6x4 coop with as large as run as I can afford, but plan to free-range during the day (I work nights) since I have a fenced in yard. I'm hoping that will be enough for a small flock of 5 or 6 chickens. I have two cats and one miniature poodle currently but are usually leashed (My poodle will need some training in advanced before I bring her around up to the coop but I know my cats will just love to sit and watch from afar!
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) Either way, hardware cloth will be a must! I'm glad to hear my dream flock is pretty docile, though I wonder if my BRs will be end up on the top of the pecking order (someone's gotta be!).

Have a great Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Definitely do some reading in our learning center. Lots of good articles on all the aspects of keeping poultry....https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Here is a nice article on raising your new babies for the first 60 days...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens

On this note, be very careful if you are ordering chicks through the mail in the winter months. If it is too cold, the chicks can die very easily from exposure. So you might wait until the weather is a bit warmer in March or April before having them shipped.

Enjoy this new adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!
 

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