- Feb 3, 2013
- 14
- 0
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Hello all! My name is Clovis and my hubby and I are interested in getting some chickens for the first time. I came across this site when I was looking for info and it looks like a great place to get lots of good input.
Here is our general situation. We have never had chickens personally before but have both had limited experience caring for them when we were kids (in our 40's now). We have 10 acres of very rural ground so there are no problems of worry about local ordinances or laws. We are in S.IL and as anyone in this area knows, the weather can be quite unpredictable, hot and dry to cold and wet. I don't know yet if we are wanting to try to winter over the first year or not. May just be a kind of wait and see thing.
What we are wanting to start with is about 4-6 pullets this spring since we have no experience or equipment to start with chicks right now. We have an area in our back yard that is surrounded by pine trees on the south and west sides with a large area of pine needles on the ground. If we could fence this area in, would it be a good area for chickens? Shade in the summer and wind break in the winter?
I have also been looking into breeds and good grief the amount of breeds is overwhelmiing! I never knew there were so many kinds of chickens! We are wanting to start with something that would be heat hardy since we have no idea what this summer will bring. Also a good egg layer and preferably not prone to broodiness. Meat producers would be okay if they were good layers too.
I have seen the Black Ausrtolorp highly recommended as well as the leghorn and Rhode Island types. I will also need to find out what is readily available (and fairly inexpensive) in our area as we are on a limited budget.
Any and all thoughts and input would be welcome and appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Clovis
Here is our general situation. We have never had chickens personally before but have both had limited experience caring for them when we were kids (in our 40's now). We have 10 acres of very rural ground so there are no problems of worry about local ordinances or laws. We are in S.IL and as anyone in this area knows, the weather can be quite unpredictable, hot and dry to cold and wet. I don't know yet if we are wanting to try to winter over the first year or not. May just be a kind of wait and see thing.
What we are wanting to start with is about 4-6 pullets this spring since we have no experience or equipment to start with chicks right now. We have an area in our back yard that is surrounded by pine trees on the south and west sides with a large area of pine needles on the ground. If we could fence this area in, would it be a good area for chickens? Shade in the summer and wind break in the winter?
I have also been looking into breeds and good grief the amount of breeds is overwhelmiing! I never knew there were so many kinds of chickens! We are wanting to start with something that would be heat hardy since we have no idea what this summer will bring. Also a good egg layer and preferably not prone to broodiness. Meat producers would be okay if they were good layers too.
I have seen the Black Ausrtolorp highly recommended as well as the leghorn and Rhode Island types. I will also need to find out what is readily available (and fairly inexpensive) in our area as we are on a limited budget.
Any and all thoughts and input would be welcome and appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Clovis