New (future) chick mom

[adstowe]

Mrs. Megan brings up a good starting point. What kind and how many chickens are you looking at getting? I personally like the variety of having a mixed flock. I tried going with all buff orpingtons once and while I like them, I missed having all the different looking birds running around. Plus, it allows you to have different colored eggs!

 

[L1sa]

Hi and welcome.

As others have said, it really comes down to what you want from your flock. If you want loads of eggs then research the heavy egg layer breeds (there are lots, but here's some examples; ISA Browns, Leghornes, even Plymouth Rocks) then work out if you can get hold of them. Or if you want to show them, check out the prettier breeds. Or if you just want them as pets, check out friendlier breeds. Then be prepared to throw all that research away because you'll find some randoms for sale somewhere and fall in love with them!!

Being a chicken momma is quite addictive! And surprises you (well it surprised me!!) how much you can care about these little fluffballs.

Good luck with your journey and keep us up to date with pictures when you get them!

 

[Chickassan]

Welcome! I agree variety is just too nice not to have! Getting chicks all depends on how much trouble you want to go through. Hatching eggs is magical but things go wrong and you might get many boys. TSC and the like same thing, stuff goes wrong and even if the tub says girls it may be lying! Hatchery, i'm a meyer lover some have had issues but I did not. I ordered girls and I got girls plus I got to open a peeping package, how can you not love that?

 

[Doc7]

I buy with confidence from Meyer.

I too prefer a mixed flock. I will have 9 hens of 9 different breeds by this spring. Good layers and pretty Flock:
Barred Plymouth Rock
Partridge Plymouth Rock
Delaware
Easter Egger
Golden Buff (productive sex link, also sold as Golden Sex link, Golden comet, red star , etc... similar if not same as red sex link)
Dominique
Buff Orpington
New Hampshire Red
Austra White (productivity of a leghorn and my only white egg layer in the plans, but more docile than a leghorn)

 

[blackdog043]

If you add your general location, it will help us answer questions better, because we will know what kind of weather you deal with. Go to your account, then personal details. Your location will show up in your avatar box.

Build the coop so it's easy for you to take care of and big enough for all the chickens you intend to end up with, including chicken math. Build it once and be done. I like a walk in coop, there easier to take care of IMO. I have up to 24 chickens at a time, I currently have 18. I built an 8 x 12 lean to shed, for my coop.

 

[Littlehouseonhansen]

Wow! I feel so welcomed here and am so thankful I have a place to come and ask questions (and not feel stupid for asking!)

I forgot to mention where we live, sorry about that! We live in Florida about 20 minute north of West Palm Beach, so it is extremely warm here (with a few days being in the 50-60's during winter.

I am looking to get any type of chick (or hen?) that will lay different colored eggs. Can you guys recommend (even if they do not lay different colored) what has been your favorite breed and why?

 

[N F C]

Wow! I feel so welcomed here and am so thankful I have a place to come and ask questions (and not feel stupid for asking!)

I forgot to mention where we live, sorry about that! We live in Florida about 20 minute north of West Palm Beach, so it is extremely warm here (with a few days being in the 50-60's during winter.

I am looking to get any type of chick (or hen?) that will lay different colored eggs. Can you guys recommend (even if they do not lay different colored) what has been your favorite breed and why?

I've lived in south FL and north FL, you'll definitely want birds that can deal with the heat and humidity!

These articles in the Learning Center may be helpful to you.
Pickin' the Right Frickin' Chicken: Guide to Picking Backyard Chicken Breeds
so-you-want-a-colorful-egg-basket.63123

When you set up your coop/run, give the set up as much shade as you can, whether natural or artificial. And be sure to go get tips from the members over on the FL state thread.

 

[Ribh]

Wow! I feel so welcomed here and am so thankful I have a place to come and ask questions (and not feel stupid for asking!)

I forgot to mention where we live, sorry about that! We live in Florida about 20 minute north of West Palm Beach, so it is extremely warm here (with a few days being in the 50-60's during winter.

I am looking to get any type of chick (or hen?) that will lay different colored eggs. Can you guys recommend (even if they do not lay different colored) what has been your favorite breed and why?

I'm just outside Brisbane, Australia & have a sub~tropical climate. I have Australorps & Barred Plymouth Rocks. Both are doing well with our heat & humidity. The Aussies lay a large brown egg. My rocks lay slightly smaller eggs in shades of cream, tan & pinkish. They have a large shaded area to roam in once they have laid & they do seem to know the coolest parts to bathe in during the worst of the heat.

 

[Mrs.Megan]

YAY this is the fun part!

I love colorful eggs and pretty hens so listed in no particular order would be *my* ideal small flock

Brown and dark brown layers:
*Marans (I’m partial to blue birchen) they lay dark chocolate eggs, are beautiful and friendly hens.
*Beilefelders lay an abundance of large brown eggs with speckles, are friendly.
*I also love barnevelders (also brown eggs) especially the ones from greenfire farms. Beautiful!

White or tinted:
*55 flower hen lay an abundance of huge white almost round eggs.
*Smaaland lay tinted eggs ~ I think she is the sweetest hen I’ve ever had.

Colored eggs:
*Cream legbar usually lay sky blue eggs but could be green. Pretty cute with a funny crest on their heads. Can be flighty but mine were sweet.
*Isbar lay moss green eggs with green flecks.
*Lavender Orpington. Very sweet and lay pinkish to brownish eggs.

Greenfire farms is in Florida and has almost all of these breeds and I think they have great stock of pretty interesting breeds. Some of the breeds I mentioned are auto-sexing (meaning you can tell the sex at birth by the color pattern of the chicks down) but greenfire doesn’t vent sex so you take the chance of having boys. I’d also look at my pet chicken if you don’t want to deal with boys since they will vent sex the non autosexing breeds. Or what I’d do is get the rarer breeds from greenfire (and rehome a few boys) and get the rest from my pet chicken for the more “normal” breeds.

Keep us posted on what you get. There are so many really fun breeds and I love seeing what people decide!

 

[adstowe]

I have various brown egg layers, a white leghorn and 2 Easter eggers ( one lays pale blue and one a mint green). I don’t know how many birds you want, but I’d say Easter egger, white leghorn, black copper marans, olive egger and fill in the rest with various brown layers. I don’t have an olive egger or bcm yet, but intend to cut back a couple of my brown egg layers and add them. That’s my ideal color combo. If you only want a few - Easter egger, white leghorn and buff Orpington will give you a pretty nice looking egg carton and all have been good birds for me.

Edit: You should feel welcome here. It’s a great group of people who all share a passion for chickens. Glad to have you join