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coddledeggs

coddledeggs

In the Brooder
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May 28, 2016
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Location
Aptos, Santa Cruz County, CA
Hi all. I am very excited to be planning for my first chickens. I have already learned so much from browsing the site and want to thank you all for being such a generous community. I have always been an animal lover and I am especially excited about having chickens because I have a two year old granddaughter that I think is going to love them too! She already "helps" in the garden. My hobbies are gardening, learning French, my two poodles, and food (both cooking and eating!)
 
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coddledeggs said:
Hi all. I am very excited to be planning for my first chickens. I have already learned so much from browsing the site and want to thank you all for being such a generous community. I have always been an animal lover and I am especially excited about having chickens because I have a two year old granddaughter that I think is going to love them too! She already "helps" in the garden. My hobbies are gardening, learning French, my two poodles, and food (both cooking and eating!)
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Welcome. What kind of chickens are you planning to get?
 
I could use advice in that regard, too. I have been wanting to get some chickens for several years now (ever since we have moved to a place that makes it possible), but what has tipped me over the edge is that I have a two year old granddaughter who is fascinated by chickens and I think we can enjoy them together. Don't worry, even if she decides she isn't interested in them after a while, I will still be very happy to have them. So, first priority would be calm chickens that don't mind being handled. I would like full-sized eggs and since we have some hawks in the area, I think that full-sized breeds would be better for us. And lastly, because I am brand new at this, breeds that are easy for first-timers would be good for me. My coop will be 5ft by 5ft with an attached run of 85 square feet. I plan on letting them free-range when I can be in the vicinity to keep an eye on them. I am planning on starting with three chicks, and getting three more when the first hens stop laying. Since they will be pets, we will be keeping them for their lifetimes. I don't plan on having more than six chickens at a time, though. Any advice for me?
 
coddledeggs said:
I could use advice in that regard, too. I have been wanting to get some chickens for several years now (ever since we have moved to a place that makes it possible), but what has tipped me over the edge is that I have a two year old granddaughter who is fascinated by chickens and I think we can enjoy them together. Don't worry, even if she decides she isn't interested in them after a while, I will still be very happy to have them. So, first priority would be calm chickens that don't mind being handled. I would like full-sized eggs and since we have some hawks in the area, I think that full-sized breeds would be better for us. And lastly, because I am brand new at this, breeds that are easy for first-timers would be good for me. My coop will be 5ft by 5ft with an attached run of 85 square feet. I plan on letting them free-range when I can be in the vicinity to keep an eye on them. I am planning on starting with three chicks, and getting three more when the first hens stop laying. Since they will be pets, we will be keeping them for their lifetimes. I don't plan on having more than six chickens at a time, though. Any advice for me?
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So many choices.
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Do you want all the same or different? You can try several kinds for different egg colors and see what you like the best. There are lots of calm birds. Do you need birds that are cold hardy?
Mediterranean breeds seem flightier than some of the dual purpose breeds. The orpingtons, astrolorps and Jersey Giants are friendly, but they are large
I've found Easter Eggers to be sweet, but energetic and your grand daughter might enjoy blue or green eggs. Marans and welsumer lay beautiful dark and sometimes speckled eggs, and the marans can be feather legged and footed. A splash marans is a stunning birds, but unfortunately they're not the best layers if that is your goal.
My pet chickem (www.mypetchicken.com) has a questionnaire on their website and depending on your answers they give you some birds that might be what you want.
 
Welcome to BYC. I would suggest some people friendly breeds like Cochins, Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps. Silkies are very popular with young children but, not a robust breed. Other breeds of chicken generally bully them because they look so different. Also they don't fly and tend to be predator magnets.

As a house chicken they would probably do very well. You might want to check out "people with house chickens," thread. My friend has had house chickens for over 25 years, different breeds but most often silkies, which are her favorite.

Also wanted to mention that rule of thumb is 4-5 sq. feet per bird IN the chicken coop (not counting nest boxes and roosts.) and 10 sq. feet per bird in the outdoor run. Chickens get very cranky when they are over crowded and tend to react by feather plucking, bullying and in extreme cases cannibalism.
 

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