New to chickens - need help/advice!

[kgriffin11nc]

Hey yall - I've never raised chickens before, though I have ALWAYS wanted some of my own! I'm hoping you guys can give me some advice. I live on the river in Washington (with four dogs....3 labs and a jack russell). I plan on having the chicken coop outside the dog's fence. I'm also planning on having it on swivel casters/rollers because we often have to deal with hurricanes down here (more advice needed - what do those in hurricane prone areas do with their chickens and coops?).

As I have had no experience raising chickens, what are the best ones to start with? I've compiled a list of the ones I want, but that doesn't mean they are the ones I should start with. And I don't know what chickens do and do not get along with other chickens. The ones I was thinking of were Malay Australorp, silkie, easter eggers, cochin, Belgian d’uccle, Wyandotte, brahma, speckled Sussex, polish, serama, faverolles, frizzle, showgirl, Russian orloff, Sumatra, modern game, Swedish flower chicken, cubalaya, Crevecoeur, mille fleur bantam, brabanter, iowa blue, Sicilian buttercup, chicken phoenix-bantam, fayoumis, vorwerk, gallo kelso, lavender pekin, yokohama, golden spangled hamburgs, pavlovskaja, Belgian watermaal bantam, bredas, light brown leghorn, flarry eyed gray, Chinese chicken, and/or scots dumpy.

I KNOW that's a huge amount, and obviously would NOT be getting all those...but they all appeal to me in a way.

Sorry to be so long winded. Just REALLY REALLY excited about my new endeavour, and would GREATLY appreciate any help/advice yall can give me!!!!!!!


Katy

 

[petrel]

Welcome! You may want to spend some time in the Learning Center and on the Breeds page to narrow your selection and get a feel for their requirements. You have come to the right place. For every breed you have listed, you may find someone here who has a passion for them. Take your time and don't hesitate to ask questions.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Sounds like you have picked out some nice breeds. The Orpington breeds are great to start with, as are the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Easter Eggers, Sussex's, and others. You might want to chat with your chicken neighbors as to what breeds to best in your area and how to deal with hurricanes and the coop. Scroll down thru this link to find your state thread...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you

You will also want to stop by our learning center for lots of tips and hints on raising your new flock....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Make yourself at home here on BYC. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Whew, that's a lot of breeds you listed and I would suggest researching them by clicking on the Breeds icon at the top of the page and looking them up on the internet. You can find useful charts as well that will give you quick overviews such as Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart (http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html) and My Pet Chickens breed list (http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/breed-list.aspx). Also Murray McMurray has an excellent chick selector that you can use on their website (http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_selector.html). Be sure if you use it to check "show more characteristics."
I have had a lot of these breeds over the years (though not all of them) so maybe I can help you out some.
First, keep in mind that a number of the breeds on your list are Bantams (Silkies, D'uccles, Pekins, Phoenix Bantam, etc.) and will take a beating if try and keep them with a lot of these standard size breeds (especially those prone to aggression).
Among the standard breeds you have listed, Australorps, Cochins, Brahmas, Faverolles, and Sussex are all gentle, calm birds and your Bantams could probably coexist with them okay. If you want eggs, Australorps are the best layers of this group.
The Polish are more skittish but they should do fine with your bantams as well (mine did) although they will themselves get picked on by other standard breeds.
Among the standard breeds on the list, Australorps, Easter Eggers, Cochins, Wyandottes, Brahmas, Sussex, Faverolles, Orloffs, Brabanters, Iowa Blues, and Vorwerks should all mix okay (occasionally you will get an aggressive bird from among these breeds).
While you can mix Sicilian Buttercups, Fayoumis, Leghorns, and Hambergs with the calmer breeds on your list, keep in mind that these four breeds are all flighty and can create uproars and chaos among your flock.
Modern Games, Sumatras, and Cubalayas are all aggressive breeds and should not be mixed with your other breeds.
I have never had Seramas, Showgirls, Creveceurs, Yokohamas, or Scots Dumpies, nor do I know enough about them to comment intelligently. I would suggest carefully researching these breeds before purchasing.
Hope this helps some. Let us know what you end up getting. It will be interesting. Good luck with your flock.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some great links and advice above for figuring out what breeds should work for you.

 

[drumstick diva]

Boy, that's a long, long, list for santa claus- just kidding. I've never even heard of half of the breeds, I would suppose they are rare, hard to find and expensive.

Looks like Michael has them sorted out for you - so that should make it easier to decide.

 

[gander007]

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Good luck with planning for your flock! Here's some links to help get you started.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...s-in-your-city-the-basics-of-raising-chickens
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/06/flock-hurricane-preparedness-7-things.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/getting-started-raising-chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/first-time-chicken-keep-questions-and-anwers

As far as breeds go, you're on the right track. I highly recommend buff orpingtons. They are friendly, hardy, affectionate, great layers, curious and they are fine in confinement. Australorps, sussex, Cochins, wyanddotes and faverolles are also great layers and are generally friendly.

Here's some links about breeds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds
http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...cken-guide-to-picking-backyard-chicken-breeds

Easter eggers are also a great breed.

Feel free to ask any questions; we'd love to help.