Introducing Maureen in Chesterton

[Lazy Farmer]

We don't own chickens yet, but just started today working on prepping the area that we intend to build our coop & chicken yard. We've danced around the idea for several years...and decided this is the time to try to increase our self-reliance. I've learned a little about chicken-keeping - and was introduced to this website - by volunteering at the Indiana Dunes National Park's Chellburg Farm as a volunteer chicken caretaker. Last year I lost my place in the volunteer calendar...and missed the chicken interactions, and the chicken poop for my compost pile. So now is the time!
In addition to a permanent coop + yard, my husband is designing a movable 'day-yard' for the chickens - we have a big fenced in yard that's good for keeping the dogs secure, but am concerned about the chickens making it out in to the nearby street or getting eaten by hawks. Hopefully the future chickens will bring down the resident population of ticks.
We also plan on giving the chickens access to the vegetable garden in the winter time. So I'm figuring we'll be looking for a starting breed that is good for foraging. Right now I'm thinking just 1 breed to start - the family we've bought eggs from in the past gets a different breed each year, as a way of keeping track relative ages of the chickens.