Newbie here

[Toctoc]

Hi, we are new to owning chickens, we just have two girls that I got from a local petting farm. As a result I'm unsure if they are crosses, or pure bred. One looks like a silver Cochin, but she seems small to me, the other is all white and I have no clue what she might be. They are about the same size. They are not laying yet, but should be soon. . . Hopefully. Lol. They are appoximately 21 and 17 weeks.
We are debating on whether we should add another 2 girls to our flock before winter. ( We're in New England) However, I worry that our coop would be small. They do free range for most of the day, so they would be inside just at night . . . I joined here because every time I am looking for advice I end up here anyway, so I figured I should just join in. Ha ha.

We also have 2 dogs, who have accepted the chickens much better than I thought they would. Although one likes to periodically make them run. ( It reminds me of homeward bound when Chance chases the chickens). I think that's about all. . . Thank you for the advice I ha e already received and I hope I can add to the community here.

 

[Amber's loving chickens]

Hi and welcome
I am a new member also and everyone is so helpful and nice- its awesome! Would your coop be able to hold four chickens for winter? I am new with chickens too and i wonder if they stay in their coop more during winter so they may need to be comfortable for the season.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. You can post pics of your birds on this forum for breed ideas -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this

Re: adding to your flock, this link is helpful -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

Here’s a link to the Articles section - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs.

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

All the best

Pork Pie

 

[Trish1974]

Welcome Toctoc (and Amber)! Toctoc, I see you are located in New England, so there may be days in the winter your chickens will choose to stay in their coop. So keep that in mind if you want to add more chickens. Over crowding can result in some nasty issues. My neighbor's flock doesn't mind snow, however my girls won't step outside if they see a single flake of snow on the ground. Check out the link Pork Pie Ken recommended regarding how much space you will need to keep the number of chickens you want.

 

[Toctoc]

Thanks!! The coop is small, it says up to 4 chickens. . . That said I'm not sure it's accurate. The run it came with is definitely not big enough for more than 2 adults. My plan is to close in the small run for winter and have a larger run available for them that would be big enough for 4. They will also free range most of the time, but I'm realistic that there will be days they won't want to come out, which is why I thought closing in the small run would give them more protected space. . .

Thank you, everyone!

 

[Toctoc]

Hi and welcome to BYC - thanks for joining us. You can post pics of your birds on this forum for breed ideas -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this

Re: adding to your flock, this link is helpful -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

Here’s a link to the Articles section - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs.

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

All the best

Pork Pie

Thank you!!! That article was great. I wish I had gotten 3 chickens to start with, but I got 2 and I'm afraid adding 2 more might be too much, but one would work. However I don't know if it's worth the trouble to add one. . . Thank you!!!

 

[rjohns39]

Hi there and welcome to BYC Ken gave you some great places to look. If you cover your run, simple greenhouse film might do the trick. I house my birds in a greenhouse over winter. Best of luck to you and again welcome, we are happy to see you join our merry little flock

 

[Toctoc]

Hi there and welcome to BYC Ken gave you some great places to look. If you cover your run, simple greenhouse film might do the trick. I house my birds in a greenhouse over winter. Best of luck to you and again welcome, we are happy to see you join our merry little flock

Thank you rjohns39! That sounds like something I need to look into. Thanks!!!

 

[pennyJo1960]

from Mossyrock, Washington State what I recommend is never add one always at least two so they have a buddy but darn glad your here

 

[Toctoc]

Thank you penny1960, I had heard the same and have the same concern. I'm leaning toward waiting out the winter to see how big they get. . . However, if I come across a couple of ladies needing a home, I'd consider it.
Thank you! This is a great resource.