Hi, new member that could use advice in the Philly suburbs

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Prize

Prize

In the Brooder
10 Years
Jul 23, 2009
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Hi! I am Prize, I've joined so that I could learn more about chickens before I commit to getting myself a pair.
I live in Pennsylvania, so we have all 4 seasons. I has a yard slightly under 1000sq ft.
My plan is to build a coop, tractor and then next spring get a pair of young hens to keep as pets, for eggs and for their coveted mosquito eating abilities. Do they really eat a lot of the mosquitos? Because I am highly allergic to them and this would be GREAT! Also, I heard their poop makes great fertilizer, does it need to be aged or treated first?
I plan on housing them outside, but am unsure how much protection they would need in the winter?
The breed I am looking at is Easter Egger. But, I am unsure if I can find a breeder near me that will let me buy 2 sexed ones. In addition I'd really like them to be "lap chickens." Is this a big quality in this breed (it said it was on the "which chicken is right for you" quiz, but I don't know just how trustworthy that is as a source)? If not, which breed will be best to interact with?
Lastly, I have heard mixed reviews about how much work chickens actually are. Since I will only have 2, what is your opinion? Your experiences? Is there anything else you think I should know before purchasing?
Thanks for reading, I look forward to hearing from you!
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Hi, and
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You can find all of the info you need on this site even if you don't get a direct response to your question.
Chickens can be alot of work, but once the initial stuff is done such as building the coop, the rest is alot easier.
As far as finding a breeder in your area, you can find that too on this site. Scroll down the index page and you will see chicks and chickens, buy-sell trade. You could find someone right next door to you. Best of Luck
 
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welcome to the site
The best advice is to ask each question one at a time and in the proper location. this will give you the best overall response.
the manure that you will get from just two birds will not be alot and it should be composted before applying it to the garden.
as far as winter protection goes, I am in MA and have converted my shed into a coop. during the cold months we use a simple 250 w heat lamp and a thermometer to keep the temps above 35F. you also need to think about keeping their water from freezing, there are many comercialy available warmers that sit under the waterer and keep it liquid.
We have had chickens since last Aug. and once the initial setup was done they really are quite easy to mantain. the biggest problem we had was finding chicken supplies close to home. apparently there isn't enough demand for that type of stuff in our area.

Good luck and I am sure you will enjoy the company they will give you.
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