New from Florida! Could use some breed advice.

[HennaRose]

Australorps are on the list I'm researching, along with a Barred Plymouth Rock (for brown eggs) Leghorns, Minorcas, and Golden Campines (for white eggs; I seem to have had the most trouble finding non-aggressive white layers with decent production), and maybe an Easter Egger or a Blue Ameraucana for colored eggs. I have to double check with the garden chart, but I think the coop plans I'm looking at will fit in the spot allocated for it and it houses up to six birds. I can afford maintenance for up to six, I just don't want too little space for them to run around in the garden.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You might also want to consider Barred Hollands for white egg layers, have found them to be pretty much like the average heavy breed temperament wise, some big hatcheries like Ideal carry them.

 

[HennaRose]

Thanks! I've got some time to research and plan before I buy chicks anyway. My sister is getting married in May, and I will have to be out of town for a few days. I don't want to leave half a dozen babies unattended and I don't have anyone willing to come chick-sit, so I won't be buying the birds till summertime. All the more reason they need to be heat-hardy. They'll be fully feathered and ready to be outside by the hottest part of summer in August.

 

[Michael OShay]

Leghorns, Minorcas, and Golden Campines (for white eggs; I seem to have had the most trouble finding non-aggressive white layers with decent production)

I would suggest Austra Whites or California Whites for white eggs. Both hybrids are readily available and great layers of large, white eggs. Austra Whites are produced by crossing a Black Australorp rooster with a White Leghorn hen. With the offspring, you get great laying ability with the calm temperament of the Australorp bred into them. Similarly, California Whites are produced by crossing a California Gray rooster with a White Leghorn hen for the same reasons. Also, California Whites can be sexed by color at hatching (cockerels are much lighter colored at hatching than pullets), so there is no possibility of getting cockerels in a pullet order.

 

[HennaRose]

I've done a little more digging and found that I'm allowed up to four hens where I live, not the up to twelve I had previously found. The code I had found was from several years ago, and it was a little tricky to fi nd the relevant information because the laws are different for inside city limits vs. outside city limits. Inside the city, no chickens. But I live outside the city, so the county code applies, and the county code says four hens, no roosters. So that changes my needs a little bit. I think I'm going to go with four - one Australorp for brown eggs, one Austra White for white eggs, and one either Easter Egger or Ameraucana for colored eggs. As for my fourth bird, I have to decide which color eggs are most important to me so I know which breed to choose.

 

[Michael OShay]

I've done a little more digging and found that I'm allowed up to four hens where I live, not the up to twelve I had previously found. The code I had found was from several years ago, and it was a little tricky to fi nd the relevant information because the laws are different for inside city limits vs. outside city limits. Inside the city, no chickens. But I live outside the city, so the county code applies, and the county code says four hens, no roosters. So that changes my needs a little bit. I think I'm going to go with four - one Australorp for brown eggs, one Austra White for white eggs, and one either Easter Egger or Ameraucana for colored eggs. As for my fourth bird, I have to decide which color eggs are most important to me so I know which breed to choose.

If you got a Welsummer or Marans (both of which lay chocolate eggs) for your fourth hen, you would have quite a colorful egg basket. )

 

[GermanGirl82]

Welcome, this site is awesome if you start out.
I'm in Nassau County Florida. In April my hubby brought home 11 Blue Laced Red Splash Wyandottes and 2 Silver Laced Penciled Rocks. And THEN build the coop & run

, we are first time flock keepers too. After I joined a few Facebook like pages and started to see and learn about all these different egg shell colors I got chicken crazy and was addicted. I went to our local feed store and got me 1 Black Australorp and 4 Ameraucana/Easter Egg (which I'm still confused about the right name for the girls I have).

I spoiled our boys and girls with ice water, ice pops, watermelon and other frozen berries to keep them cool this past summer and they all did well.

Now in Feb I would to expand my Rainbow of Egg shell colors and I'm probably getting 1 CocoMaran and White Leghorn and probably a Speckled Sussex!
It's so fun to "shock" people with blue/greenish eggs, since they only assume that they are brown and white eggs out there.

My girls LOVED watching the chicks change and getting their feathers, loved helping clean, feed, spoil and love on them. It is such a great adventure for them.

 

[ChickyChickens]

Welcome to BYC!!! There are loads of members on here…so if you have ANY questions…just ASK!!!

Hope you have loads of fun and all your answers answered here on BYC the BEST CHICKEN KEEPING FORUM on EARTH!!