I agree about the Orpingtons. I've tried other breeds, but always go back to them. Fair warning though, I bought some at swap meets only to find they are half white-egger when mature. The roosters of this mix were super aggressive and heavy fighters. They were sentenced to the stew pot for excessive violence and for injuries inflicted on my senior Buff rooster.Hi and welcome!
I live in Bloomfield, just down the road from you. I would offer the suggestion of Orpingtons. They are very gentle and docile, not to mention large. I started off with them for that reason, but have stayed with them. I purchased six chicks from a friend and told myself that was more than enough. Be warned chickens are like potato chips. I now have 20. The most common are the Buff Orps, but, I raise Blue, Black and Splash varieties. I have also gotten into bearded Silkies. They are really cute. It depends on what you want out of your chickens. Do you want eggs for the table and or meat? Do you want to keep a Rooster and raise a few chicks? I started out slowly to figure out which way to go. The coops I have are progressing. I hope to one day have a walk in. I am no expert but have enough knowledge to help you out. BYC offers tons of help from real chicken experts. It's a great place to start. You can purchase some chickens at a swap. Just be careful and make sure to isolate them for a couple of weeks from any other birds that you may have gotten. You will want to make sure that they are healthy. I have a tendency to become a chicken snob, because I like the lines of Orpingtons that I have. I have not found them at a swap unless they were a cull. You can research the breeds and figure out what fits you. Drop me a line any time. I have a Facebook page called Idle Hour Farm. Stop by and Like it. Again Welcome!
Cluckfan
aka Lisa Z.
