scyllarus
Songster
Hello! My husband and I are moving in a few months (around October, probably) and we'll be on some property (iirc we have like...1/4 acre, I think). I need to check the details on the actual ordinances but a quick Google search of the city and county says I should be able to keep chickens - even roosters - as long as they're not a nuisance. We're in a suburban area in Georgia, so I don't expect to have a huge number of predators. The weather gets hot and humid in the summer (up to 100F a few days out of the year) and somewhat cold in the winter (typical temps around 30's, dips down to 20's here and there). We get thunderstorms often in the summer and we very rarely get snow.
We already keep Coturnix quail as our current producers (no room/not allowed chickens where we are now) and are thinking of putting them in a nice aviary and keeping them more as pets rather than producers. We'll probably end up keeping a small backyard flock of chickens, maybe 5-6? We're accustomed to culling birds but would rather keep them for eggs vs meat. Pet production, if you will.
So! Now that that's out of the way, here's what I'm looking for:
Friendly - I like to interact with my animals. I don't *need* to pick them up and hug them, but it's a bonus if I can snuggle a chicken.
Friendly with other chickens - I have enough trauma from quail scalping each other, thanks.
Not flighty - We don't really have predators. I'm more worried that they'll fly out of the yard and get hit by a car.
Heat-hardy - I'm happy to provide a fan and wading pool, but they need to be able to tolerate hot and humid summers.
Things that matter less:
Eggs - We don't really eat that many eggs, maybe a dozen a week? So 3 eggs a week per hen is more than fine. All colors are welcome, too, but I wouldn't mind if I could get a couple of different colors.
Broodiness - I don't mind if they go broody, we're likely to want to raise a few chicks at some point anyway.
Quiet roosters - I know this is probably not a thing, but breeds with quieter roosters would be welcome. I don't think we'll start with a rooster, but we might end up with one.
Size - Smaller is probably better? We have small dogs (who have been around chickens without issue) and I would be distraught if one got hurt. On the other hand, bantams are apparently better at flight, so maybe not.
Foraging - Frankly, there's not that much to forage for the hens. The backyard is just standard grass with a few trees at the edge of the property.
Aesthetics - I think most chickens are beautiful! But I noticed I really like bearded/muffed chickens, certain colors (blue/black/splash, mottled/spangled, laced, mille fleur). I'm fine with silkie or frizzle feathers. I'm not as fond of naked necks or short legs.
Things I want to avoid:
Vaulted skull - I'm fine with crests, but not with vaulted skulls if I can help it.
Feathered feet - It's hot, it's muddy after thunderstorms. I would consider a breed with feathered feet but it's not preferred.
Exotic breeds - It's not so much I don't want them as it's likely going to be a pain to find one.
We already keep Coturnix quail as our current producers (no room/not allowed chickens where we are now) and are thinking of putting them in a nice aviary and keeping them more as pets rather than producers. We'll probably end up keeping a small backyard flock of chickens, maybe 5-6? We're accustomed to culling birds but would rather keep them for eggs vs meat. Pet production, if you will.
So! Now that that's out of the way, here's what I'm looking for:
Friendly - I like to interact with my animals. I don't *need* to pick them up and hug them, but it's a bonus if I can snuggle a chicken.
Friendly with other chickens - I have enough trauma from quail scalping each other, thanks.
Not flighty - We don't really have predators. I'm more worried that they'll fly out of the yard and get hit by a car.
Heat-hardy - I'm happy to provide a fan and wading pool, but they need to be able to tolerate hot and humid summers.
Things that matter less:
Eggs - We don't really eat that many eggs, maybe a dozen a week? So 3 eggs a week per hen is more than fine. All colors are welcome, too, but I wouldn't mind if I could get a couple of different colors.
Broodiness - I don't mind if they go broody, we're likely to want to raise a few chicks at some point anyway.
Quiet roosters - I know this is probably not a thing, but breeds with quieter roosters would be welcome. I don't think we'll start with a rooster, but we might end up with one.
Size - Smaller is probably better? We have small dogs (who have been around chickens without issue) and I would be distraught if one got hurt. On the other hand, bantams are apparently better at flight, so maybe not.
Foraging - Frankly, there's not that much to forage for the hens. The backyard is just standard grass with a few trees at the edge of the property.
Aesthetics - I think most chickens are beautiful! But I noticed I really like bearded/muffed chickens, certain colors (blue/black/splash, mottled/spangled, laced, mille fleur). I'm fine with silkie or frizzle feathers. I'm not as fond of naked necks or short legs.
Things I want to avoid:
Vaulted skull - I'm fine with crests, but not with vaulted skulls if I can help it.
Feathered feet - It's hot, it's muddy after thunderstorms. I would consider a breed with feathered feet but it's not preferred.
Exotic breeds - It's not so much I don't want them as it's likely going to be a pain to find one.
.
