New member from Rescue, CA (Just getting started)

rescuechik

Hatching
8 Years
Jan 15, 2012
7
1
9
Rescue, CA (El Dorado County)
I'm so new at this, that I don't even have chickens, yet! My daughter is in our local high school FFA, and one thing led to another, and I'm finding myself in love (or obsessed as my daughter would say) with chickens. I want eggs out of this.. I think Soooo.... how loud are those roosters, exactly? My coop is almost ready, I just need to fence it in and then I'm ready to start (within the next month). I was thinking to let them free range the last few hours of the daytime...
I saw an ad for Hamburgs - they are beautiful and have been advertised as good layers, but I also saw somewhere that they are rated lower for laying eggs. Nothing like mass chicken confusion before you've even started LOL. I've also heard Americana or Rhode Island Reds are best to start?

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Nancy
 
Welcome from Colorado. I'm new to BYC too and this is the best place to get advice about breeds. I started with an assortment of birds to try to gauge which best suited me. I raised my babies to be friendly and easy to handle. In general I find that RIR and orpingtons are the friendliest while leghorns and wyandottes are more standoffish but better layers. Of course, I've had exceptions to the rules everytime!
 
I'm so new at this, that I don't even have chickens, yet! My daughter is in our local high school FFA, and one thing led to another, and I'm finding myself in love (or obsessed as my daughter would say) with chickens. I want eggs out of this.. I think Soooo.... how loud are those roosters, exactly? My coop is almost ready, I just need to fence it in and then I'm ready to start (within the next month). I was thinking to let them free range the last few hours of the daytime...
I saw an ad for Hamburgs - they are beautiful and have been advertised as good layers, but I also saw somewhere that they are rated lower for laying eggs. Nothing like mass chicken confusion before you've even started LOL. I've also heard Americana or Rhode Island Reds are best to start?

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Nancy

Welcome :D
Well, you dont need a rooster for a hen to lay an egg, but I will gladly say that the crowing all depends on your roo. Mine is a sweet heart and only crows once or twice in the morning and then again at dusk.
Its just like kids, there are loud once who scream, and then there are the good ones who sit and look pretty lol :D
EE's are an awesome bird to start with, as well as RIR so i have heard.
I started out with my Buff's and Wyandottes! Now i have a mixed flock and get a TON of eggs.
 
Hello Nancy!
welcome-byc.gif
from Washington State glad you joined us!
There are so many breeds out there, so I would say breed for what you like! RIR are great egg layers and so our the Orpingtons.
No reason why you couldn't have a variety of different breeds to start off with! Good luck!
 
I have a great variety of breeds in my flock, but I started with "the standard five" dual purpose breeds: Plymouth Rock - Barred (commonly called Barred Rocks) - but she wasn't, Buff Orpington, Black Australorp, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Ameraucana - actually an Easter Egger. The supposed BR was another EE. All were very friendly. Chicken math hit early and I added an actual BR, another EE, and a Light Brahma within a month. Also very friendly, but the "new" EE turned out to be a cockerel. He is now my dominant rooster, Carl.
 

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