Looking to Raise Chickens the Right Way

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DobieLover said:
Kiki,
You are correct on the coloration of the chicks. The pullet chicks will be a more russet color and the cockerel chicks will be yellow.
Debbie,
I recommend you purchase sexed chicks from a hatchery vs. getting them from a feed store.
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You guys rock! Thank you!!!! Do you have a recommendation of how to find a good hatchery. Looking local or ordering online? If you could pick the most friendly, best laying chickens, which would you suggest. I know I'm going to want to love on them!
 
DebbieDonut said:
You guys rock! Thank you!!!! Do you have a recommendation of how to find a good hatchery. Looking local or ordering online? If you could pick the most friendly, best laying chickens, which would you suggest. I know I'm going to want to love on them!
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I've used Meyer Hatchery out of Ohio twice.
Oh geez! The most friendly, best laying? I have no idea! I have 29 chickens of 18 different breeds. I can't make my mind up.
My best layers are my White Leghorns and my White Rock. The hands down most friendly are my two Plymouth Barred Rocks.
 
DobieLover said:
You don't want them sleeping in their nest or you will have poopy eggs!
They will sleep on their roost.
You will not have issues with cold in SC. Chickens are little walking blast furnaces with down coats. It take A LOT of cold for them to be cold.
Heat is a much bigger concern.
I would still make sure they have a nice sized run that can be winterized for them.
Do you plan on having electricity in your coop?
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I can have electricity in their coops. I am planning their coop to be near an outlet. I just wasn't sure what needs electricity in the coop?
 
DebbieDonut said:
Great advice. Thank you. Yep, checked my town laws and the vet confirmed I'm good to have chickens. Are the Hens noisy? I know Roosters are, but do the females make a lot of noise. I am in the process of researching coops, husband says he'll build me one, but I have a dog kennel that I plan to surround the coop with as extra protection from predators. I would love to let them free range my backyard. Plenty of bugs for them to eat. I have a fenced in backyard, but can they get out? Do they fly away or over 6 foot privacy fence?
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My silkies are pretty quiet, my rooster sounds off a couple times a day and he is not obnoxious but my hens can be just as loud as him more often when sing the egg sound and get the whole flock singing with them. Noise is also dependent on breed some are noisier than others. Different breeds have different flight abilities, my silkies can’t fly at all but my Seramas I’ve seen fly up to the roof of my coop 8 ft up. You will find a lot of great ideas for coops and breed reviews in the article section.
 
DebbieDonut said:
We went to the farm store yesterday and they had sexed Isa Brown Chicks. I loved them they were the traditional yellow chicks. There was a sign saying must buy 4 chicks. I know that we will raise them in a tub, but what age are they ready to be put outside in the coop? Does the coop need to have 4 nesting boxes one foreach chicken?
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No. My ladies share 6 boxes amongnst them. Sadly they prefer to lay in the corner of the coop. Goofy girls. 2 lay consistantly in the boxes the rest haven't figured it out yet.
 

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