Hello all! I'm new to BYC and raising backyard chickens. I live in western WA (Olympia area) on 5 acres and am in the process of converting a small-ish horse trailer to a coop for a few egg layers, and I'm so very excited to get started! Since this is my first foray into chickens, I was hoping to start with just a few hens, and maybe raise a couple chicks in the future. Any suggestions on where I can purchase a few happy hens from a safe place that are already laying age (or close to it?) Thank you in advance!!
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help. You've definitely come to the right place in terms of learning about chickens, gaining more insight into the poultry world and chatting with other bird lovers. Be sure to check out our learning center! TONS of helpful info there! https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center Glad you joined us!
Hi and welcome to BYC - glad that you have decided to join us. I think if i had 5 acres there'd just be sea of chickens! Maybe if you check out your state thread (type your state in the search box) you'll meet other BYC members in your locality and i am sure that they would be best placed to point you in the right direction for your new chickens. I think your approach of getting some almost mature hens and then thinking about hatching or getting chicks later is very sensible - better to build some experience before doing the slightly more tricky stuff. all the best CT
Do you have any particular breeds in mind? You can research them on BYC and see if they sound like a good match. There are also breed reviews you could check out to see if it sounds like something you would want.
Thank you everyone!! @CTKen Haha I wouldn't be surprised if we end up with a whole lot more, but I think I'll start small I'm glad you agree about starting with hens, and thank you for the advice, I'll do that! @drumstick diva I've heard Rhode Island reds are great layers. So I was thinking about those, but I'd love to have a mixed group (and colorful eggs) if it's possible... Thanks for the advice, I'll check the reviews!
Hello! Welcome to BYC and the coop! There's a lot of great peeps here! Feel free to ask lots of questions. But most of all, make yourself at home. I'm so glad you decided to join the BYC family. I look forward to seeing you around BYC.
