Hello from NJ

[Crack N' Egg]

Hello,

My wife and I live on 5+ acres along with our 2 kids (4.5yrs old and 18months). W have always wanted to have some farm animals but could never decide on any until now.

We have an old dog run made out of chain link fence on the property (24 feet X 68" X68") that we cleaned out today and we have a 4' X 6' coop on order.

We have so many questions about how to get started:

What type of chickens and/or guinea hens would be good with young kids?
Do we start with day old chix?
What feeders are the best?
What is the life expectancy of Chickens (assuming they live a normal life)?

We are looking forward to learning from all of you!

Cheers

 

[gamebirdsonly]

from Utah

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Quote:

from NY! To answer your questions:

I don't have any guineas but I hear they aren't particularly friendly. And many types of chickens are friendly. Do you want to show them at fairs, simply have them as pets, raise for eggs, for meat, or maybe a combo of some?

If you have kids, I'd best start with chicks. Older birds are more skittish and don't do very well unless they have been raised around people. Chicks can get used to humans fairly well over time, though, but patience and alot of one-on-one handling is needed. I've raised all of my birds from chicks, hand reared, and they love people. They come up to my family members and myself and wait to be held.

People like hanging feeders but I used metal trough feeders. You'll get mixed answers. It depends on you, really.

How long a chicken lives depends on their life conditions and whether or not the chicken is a strong one. Normal backyard birds given daily free-range can live as long as 5 or 6 years of life depending upon how many predators you have around you. Birds with no free-range can live longer. Birds kept in people's houses (some people do it!) can live longer than 10 years! I've had my flock for 2 and a half years and have only lost two, none of which were lost to predators. I wish you and your soon-to-be birds a great start! Chickens are awesome animalds, and believe it or not, they are capable of love. Ask any questions if necessary! And once again, welcome to BYC!

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

from Vermont!

You are going to love BYC. Full of great infromation and friendly people!

Buff Orpingtons are terrific beginner chickens. They are so sweet and friendly and they're great layers as well. I prefer to raise from chicks, like Polish Princess said, you can really tame them very well!

As for feeders most anything will do. I have a hanging feeder (easy to refill/stays clean) but you could really use anything. I have a friend who uses a big old pot to feed her chickens!

Hopefully your chickens have long and wonderful lives!

Looks like you are off to a wonderful start!!

 

[Buckhorn Farm]

from FL

 

[froggie71]

and

from Burlington County! We have chickens, ducks and guineas. We love them all and all have been raised from chicks, ducklings and keets. Our guineas are unusually friendly so I've been told. My son handles them alot. They were raised with our ducks, but recently the male going through hormones I've been told will go after our drake. He doesn't like the other birds near his girls. They are friendly with people though. (They also alert my neighbors dog when the raccoons are nearby and he comes to chase them away.) As we are just into raising our birds for just a year now I would still consider us newbies. We have learned a lot in a year though.
Feeder and waterer that can't be easily knocked over, or wood chips gotten into are what I'd recommend. Otherwise you'll be in there changing it a lot. I agree, before you decide on what kind of birds you want, besides kid friendly, know what else you are looking for in a bird. Eggs, meat, show quality, pet. There are several birds that can be recommended for any of these.

Good luck.

 

[Crack N' Egg]

Quote:
Hi Polish Princess!

Thank you for your detailed response. At this time we are mainly interested in large brown eggs and pets...with the meat option staying open for the future. We certainly want our chickens to be friendly so that our children can develop an appreciation for them.

We like the idea of starting with day old chicks, there are so many different species out there that we're not quite sure which ones to go with.

Quote:
.

Is there an area in the Index of this forum that talks about the different species of chix (behavior, layer, meat, color of eggs)?

Thanks again!

Cheers

 

[jjthink]

Greetings fellow New Jerseyan

For starters, the best thing of all is to spend a goodly amount of time reading the info on this forum - it will give you a wealth of info/knowledge. Every section - Learning Center, Predators/Pests (that's where you'll find out chain link needs to be supplemented with hardware cloth). Emergencies/Diseases/Cures, Feeding etc etc. Check out the index for more helpful categories. You will find lists of the supplies to have on hand for most any situation. And of course, ask any questions that you need to. Many of the problems we see on BYC are from folks who get chickens first, ask questions later. Good for you for doing it the other way around!!!

JJ

And p.s., your place looks lovely.

 

[nhnanna]

from NH.
Glad you could join us.

 

[Lunachick]

from NJ! I'm in Ocean County, nice set up you have!