New to Backyard Chickens, need suggestions...

[cjp4]

Good morning! I am just beginning the adventure of raising chickens and looking forward to it! I have just completed my coop, which is 27 cubic feet (9' sq.). Attached are pictures of it. I will have a 10 X 3 (90 cu. ft) run attached to it. The ladies will live in the pen while we are at work but will be free range in the backyard when we are outside or are able to keep an eye on them. I had planned on a max of 4 birds. What are some good birds to start with? I want them to be sweet natured as my grandchildren will be around them (supervised). I had originally thought Orpingtons or Americaunas. Will the size of my coop suffice for them?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Welcome to the hobby. Are you looking for pets or egg production as well? Some breeds that make wonderful pets like silkies and Bantam cochins don't necessarily lay a lot.

With your coop being smaller you do want to be careful picking breeds that do well in a smaller area. Orpingtons may work.

 

[cjp4]

My main purpose is egg production. I realize my coop is on the smaller side and perhaps will build bigger in time. I do want to be sensitive to the breed because of the smaller size.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Really cute coop, I love that you built it!! My breed advice (and it's great that you're considering this up front! I made the mistake with my first flock of 6 RIR's that were mean to my kids. The kids didn't even want to go outside after a while of it.) SO.. A small-ish breed that I find very, very sweet with humans and each other is the Crested Creme Legbar. They lay medium sized BLUE eggs. I highly recommend. Other very sweet breeds, good layers: Speckled Sussex, Orpingtons. Good luck, have fun!!

 

[Cynthia12]

Welcome! Yes, not too many birds in that small an area. Best laying hens..my opinion..Sexlinks and of course Leghorn. Some folks aren't aware of how friendly leghorns can be. .ine were always very friendly and loved their treats! And of course they're known for their very large eggs.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Welcome to chicken keeping! If the size of the eggs isn't a concern, you may want to consider bantams since you don't have a lot of room. The generally accepted minimums are 4sq ft/bird in the coop and 10sq ft/bird in the run (unfortunately vertical space doesn't count) Your coop and run are pretty compact, realistically you can probably fit 2 large fowl hens or 3, maybe 4, bantam hens in there comfortably.

Most breeds the hens are going to be pretty docile, especially if you spend time with them. Orpingtons have a well earned reputation for being especially sweet. But they are large birds, I definitely wouldn't put more than 2 in that coop. Other breeds with a reputation for being sweet include salmon favorelles, cochins, and silkies. Easter Eggers can be sweet, I had one that would allow my 2yr old to "catch" her even though she could easily outrun him.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

My main purpose is egg production. I realize my coop is on the smaller side and perhaps will build bigger in time. I do want to be sensitive to the breed because of the smaller size.

Because of this, I personally would not go with chicken's that lay tiny eggs. Little chickens are adorable as pets but you'll be frustrated when it comes to breakfast. Don't be afraid to start with 3-4 very nice breeds gals in what you have. Just be prepared to expand as you want more (because you will ). I started with this dog house, little run and 1 acre free range. It fit 4 chickens just fine. But again, I now have 14 and the dog house is a brooder now. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/dog-house-design.48168/

 

[cjp4]

Thank you all for the input. My original thought was 2-3 until my daughter said that I needed 4 (1 for each of the grandkids). Who can argue with that? Anyway, I want to be as sensitive as I can to the gals with the limited space, understanding that the flock (& coop) will most likely grow.