Hello from Washington

Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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So glad you finally decided to join! :)
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. A lot of us were lurkers before joining and we all love chickens here. You have a nice mixed flock. You need to either get some more hens to go with those 2 roosters or get rid of a rooster. The recommended ratio of hens to roosters is 10 hens for every 1 roosters. Too many roosters can be very hard on your hens physically, over-breeding them, biting and plucking feathers from their necks and backs, battering them, and potentially seriously injuring them. Orpington hens would be a good addition as they are a hardy, beautiful, and friendly breed. I would also highly recommend Black Australorps. I have raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds) and they are extremely hardy, calm and gentle (my children, and now my granddaughter, made lap pets of them), and they are the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. A Black Australorp holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days, and while mine have never reached that kind of production (and likely never will), I have still had a few of them lay over 300 eggs in a year. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
Thank you for the info Michael! I am interested in focusing on Orpingtons and Cochins. They have really piqued my interest and stolen my heart!
Funny you mention my roos PotPie and Nugget. I live in an area where gentlemen chickens are permitted, so everyone is constantly looking to rehome roosters here or looking for a stew pot. I've been looking for a good pet home for them for over 10wks (they are now 18wks). I just found them a great one and on Friday they will go to free range on 5 acres and tend to a flock of 2 dozen Sussex! I was hoping to have my larger coop done by now and add more hens, but that didn't happen so I have to do what's best for all my chickens.
 
Thank you for the info Michael! I am interested in focusing on Orpingtons and Cochins. They have really piqued my interest and stolen my heart!
Funny you mention my roos PotPie and Nugget. I live in an area where gentlemen chickens are permitted, so everyone is constantly looking to rehome roosters here or looking for a stew pot. I've been looking for a good pet home for them for over 10wks (they are now 18wks). I just found them a great one and on Friday they will go to free range on 5 acres and tend to a flock of 2 dozen Sussex! I was hoping to have my larger coop done by now and add more hens, but that didn't happen so I have to do what's best for all my chickens.

You're welcome, and that's great news about the roosters. You can't get any more docile breeds than Orpingtons and Cochins. I've had both (still have Orpingtons, the Cochins didn't lay well enought to suit me) and they were both extremely friendly and gentle (my children made lap pets out of them). Both my Orpingtons and my Cochins were the Buff variety.
 
I'm in a dilemma right now - it seems my Maggie should be Mikey. I did not plan on having a roo just the three hens. Hopefully the co-op will let me exchange him. I paid $20 each for three layer hens about 6 weeks ago. Only one is laying so far the second one looks ready any day she has been squatting for a few weeks now.
 

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