New to Chickens

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BriteChicken

BriteChicken

Songster
9 Years
Feb 23, 2010
303
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119
Huntsville, Alabama
Hey I am new to chickens was recommended here by my Great Dane forum while searching for coop plans I live in North Alabama am the proud owner of a 1yr old Merle GD and would love to add caring for a small flock of chickens to the growing list Lol! Oh yeah! I want to get Red Star late this spring after I build the coop... Ask any questions I'd love to answer and pipe up if you have a suggestions for a first time chicken owner!
 
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from Indiana!
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My only suggestion for you would be: read up as much as you can on chickens and different breeds before you bring any home. Make sure you find the right breed of chicken that fits your expectations, like personality, how often they lay etc... That way you'll have a good experience. Good Luck!
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and
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from S. Florida! Glad you joined us! You own a Great Dane, cool, I've got one myself. I had 2 until January 14, of this year, had to put her to sleep, she went into congestive heart failure. She would have been 9 y/o on Jan. 21.
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Enjoy your Dane, and your chickens too!
 
Aw I'm sorry to hear that! I don't have high expectations as long as their nice and let me take their eggs I'll love'em! Oh but they should probably be hardy too...

I just want some good egg layers so I can have my own eggs.
 
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You'd be surprised! They're some breeds that are laid back, calm and friendly, others that can be flighty and agressive. Some that lay a few eggs a week, and others that are egg laying machines. I have a barred rock hen, she'll let you take the eggs... but she'll tell you all about it!
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My mom and mother in law talked about how growing up, they hated chickens, they had the choir of feeding and collecting eggs. They both talked about being attacked, and chased by them. Neither knew the breed, just said they were white and mean. I could only guess leghorns maybe.
 
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gonzo&hispeeps :

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You'd be surprised! They're some breeds that are laid back, calm and friendly, others that can be flighty and agressive. Some that lay a few eggs a week, and others that are egg laying machines. I have a barred rock hen, she'll let you take the eggs... but she'll tell you all about it!
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Are Red Star's not even tempered great egg layers that are very hardy... that's what I've read. Sad day!
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I've not heard bad things about them. Heres a quote from someone at Mcmurray.. I received my order of laying chicks right after Memorial Day this year and already at 17 weeks, my 3 Red Stars are laying eggs, everyday! I ordered 3 other breeds of egg layers, too, but I wish I would have ordered more Red Stars. They are wonderful layers and are very quiet with nice dispositions. A wonderful chicken, my next order will have many more Red Stars.
 
I have read great things about the egg laying of Red Stars, even more about Black sex links. I don't know about how cold hardy they are. How cold are the winters in Indiana? You probably don't want to get anything with a huge comb as if you get long/severely cold winters they will have a frostbite risk.

Also, I can't help but recommend that you also check out the American Livestock Breed Conservancy and consider an endangered Heritage Breed as opposed to a hybrid.

Here is the Henderson Chart, which is awesome for comparing chickens

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

And the link to the ALBC

http://www.albc-usa.org/

Buckeyes might be a good breed for the cold, thought I don't know that they are high producers, they do have a pea comb which is great and are a heritage bird, that is very docile, does really well in captivity -even roosters, and they don't feather pick or bother each other.

Laney
 
It seems like a lot of the chickens that lay white eggs are not too friendly. I have kids, so I researched our breeds. They all lay brown eggs. I have several different breeds, they're so laid back my 8 yr old carries them around in the back yard. Last week when it snow, he took one of our buff orpington hens on a sled ride. I though maybe she was on the sled against her will, but she stayed on it after he left... kinda like hey! Were'd ya go!
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Haha Gonzo too funny!

And it gets down to freezing in North alabama for about two months in the winter and snowed twice (1 inch each time) and this was a BAD winter LOL! so i don't know where you got that it's horribly cold here but when there are cold snaps I'll also have a heat lamp for them...
 

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