hi! I can't wait to start my flock. could use some advice

[drumstick diva]

welcome to the flock

 

[hosspak]

I've been dreaming of starting a flock and have been reading up on here and in a few books for years. Never had a landlord that would allow chickens, but we just purchased our first home and according to zonining laws I can have a flock of 12!

My plan is to start off with 6 birds and add more next season if I feel like we can handle more. I want to raise layers. Pretty much narrowdbit down to two breeds. Barred rocks or RIRs. I've read mixes reviews of both breeds and was just wondering what y'alls reccomendations were. I live in southern California so winters aren't an issue. Summers can get pretty warm tho. Do both breeds lay year round and do I really need artificial light to keep them laying through the winter? I plan on feeding commercial layer feed until I get a routine down then adding fodder to the menu. Any comments/advice would be appreciated

Where abouts in Cali. Adam? I have a mixed flock (wanted a colorful egg basket), we have 3 Buff Orps, laying at least 2 eggs every 3 days +/-, 2 blk Sex links each gives an egg a day, 3 EE's maybe an egg every 2 to 3 days or less (all seem to delay eggs when excited and during the shortened days) many others; BLRW & Blk W maybe 2 eggs a week, a BCM an egg a day, our best layers are a Tetra Tint and a Golden Comet (red/orange Sex link) pretty much 1 egg every 24 hrs each and they are the friendliest of the flock. All breeds seem to handle the heat (in Elsinore) just fine.

 

[adamheath]

Wow! I wasn't expecting so many responses so soon. Thank you all for the advice. The new house if in wildomar. Not too far from you hosspak! What is a tetra tint? What color do they lay?

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! x2 on the advice concerning summer/winter, I've never had a problem with my girls in the winter but in the summer they're miserable (who wouldn't be in up to 110 degree heat yuck) I wet down the sand in their run and my poor Orpington girl sometimes has to come inside in a dog carrier (way too many fluffy feathers). Good luck to you.