Thank you everyone for such a warm welcome. I thought I should tell you about myself and my chickens. I live in So. California with my husband of 4 years. Poor guy didn't have any exposure to animals before he met me, now he knows how to vaccinate chickens to horses, helps feed, clean pens etc. he's a great guy. didn't object when I told him I was ordering day old chicks. I have Dorkings, Appenzellar Spitzhaubens, white faced black spanish, Dutch and a pair of Buttercups who have never produced an egg. I love this site, I already feel at home.
I'd love to take a rooster...I have family in Riverside, but am sticking with hens. I really don't want my neighbors to be annoyed with me. I already have a parrot that if she's outside with the other birds, she goes through a nonstop routine of answering machine calls/rings or hollar loudly that she wants to go outside and play. (worse is when she cries out 'help, help!)...only worried my neighbor once, he was going to call 911 until he looked over the fence and saw her). So, don't want to test my neighbor's patience....