Welcome!
BYC, with its outstanding members is an amazing online resource and as Pork Pie Ken said, The Learning Center is a great place to start for immediate information.
Yet, don't overlook the value of a good book. For a small pet flock, I recommend 'City Chicks, Keeping Micro-flocks of Chickens as Garden Helpers, Compost Makers, Bio-reyclers, and Local Food Producers' by
Patricia L. Foreman You can get it on
Amazon ranging from $10-20
Another must have book for any chicken keeper is 'The Chicken Health Handbook' By Gail Damerow. The second edition came out about a year ago but the first edition can be had on
Amazon for about $1.50
I second what others have said about building much larger than you think you will need and avoid manufactured coops like the plague.
As for which breeds to get, I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions like buff orpingtons, barred rocks, Easter eggers and silkies, I want to share that there are hundreds of great fascinating breeds that come in a wide array of varietal colors.
For example, Orpingtons aren't only buff but also black, white, blue, lavender and others. Plymouth Rocks don't just have barred feathering, they come in eight or more other colors.
I highly recommend the following breed charts for your perusal.
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf
Start with birds adaptable to your climate, then go from there.
Howdy and let me Welcome you. You have come to the right place for all those answers to those big questions. The first thing I would say is do not get overwhelmed by those uncertainties. You Will find the answers here. Research all the resources you have available and when you have come to some final questions we will help. Coops come in many sizes and will depend on how big you start. How many chickens do you want or have room for? Now breeds, there is a large variety that lay all colors of eggs including green eggs which are my favourite. So glad your here and make yourself at home.
