new from Miami FL! Lots of questions :)

[dixiechick]

Welcome to BYC...I too live here in Florida...a bit north of you. Be careful of the heat and humidity. My coop is cover but open on all sides....hens have nesting boxes.....

I have cochins, old english, black rosecomb, and frizzles.....haven't found a breed that can't make it here.

You can mix up breeds when ordering....I use Ideal Poultry and Privett Hatchery. Both found online.

Good luck and

 

[dixiechick]

These are the photos you asked for...I warn you, we are not overrun with chickens (yet)...but I was able to get my DH to build this with the $$$ I got from selling my old gold earlier this summer....it's nothing fancy...

This is the side view:

This is the front view:

 

[Sahara]

I love that chicken coop! Thanks for sharing and giving me some ideas.

 

[Sahara]

Alyssa, I live in NE Florida and have the following hens:

Rhode Island Red
Barred Rock
Americana
Silver-Laced Wyandotte
Black Sexlink cross

I also have an assortment of baby chicks right now but have had no problems in raising healthy, happy chickens in the Florida heat.

Good luck with your new flock!

 

[holliewould]

Heya I'm even further south then you and I have RIR's. These ladies handle the heat fine. I just make sure they have water, and I keep a fan blowing in their coop. They don't hang out in their coop where it's nice and breezy though. They'd rather hang out in a hole they made by a big jacaranda tree. Big dummies. Anyway, I know the RIR's do very well in the heat!

 

[Kelly G]

Hi, Alyssa!

I live in Tampa...five hours north of you. I went to High School there in Miami (Palmetto) and my family still lives down there in Palmetto Bay (South Miami)....so, hello, neighbor!

I just got my first six chicks on Wednesday (3 days ago). Things are going well, and so far it has been really easy. I originally had placed an order with mypetchicken.com, but ended up cancelling the order as I found my peeps at my local feed store...they originally came from Ideal.

Anyway, I have no advice to offer you as I have no experience in this, myself. But I can tell you that everyone here has been an invaluable resource in this endeavor...I'm not sure I would have had the courage to do this without the knowledge and experience available here!

Good luck! Stay cool! It was Fr(#%JF_ng hot here today!!!!

 

[HeadHen]

Try the 'where am I, where are you' board. Look for your area in the threads and see what kinds of chickens those users have. That might give you a good idea which chickens are best for your climate.