Newbie Here!

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Thank you to all of you for welcoming me into the flock! I appreciate all of the helpful tips immensely! I will definately be started out with possibly two buff orpingtons, create a safe outdoor run, and use excessive caution when introducing my canine companion. It is nice to hear the success stories about dog introductions, and that it is possible!

Thank you again for the advise. It is greatly appreciated.
I will get started on building my coop, hopefully this weekend, thank you for the support!
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Welcome to BYC!

After you get your coop ready and have all your supplies I recommend starting with chicks. It is such a neat experience. You can watch them literally change over night. I felt it also helped get our dogs used to having yard mates. Our German Shepherd was there from the beginning. I kept the chicks in the living room and he was tall enough to see over the top. I had wire over it, but I suppose if he had wanted to get in he would have. He sniffed them and would stick his big, fat head in there, but after the five weeks he didn't pay much mind to them. We even had them out in the yard for a few hours at a time to see eachother. They actually wanted to share a water bowl with the dog.
The other dog came the first winter so he saw full grown chickens. He also got used to them real quick and learned the boudaries. I've had chicks since then and they both seem to enjoy peeking at them, but don't chase. ...this rant was to give grown dogs some credit. Just go slow and set the boundaries. I free range all day now and (knock on wood) have not huge problems with predators.

As for breeds I would suggest looking into more cold hardy birds. Just make sure to find ways to keep them cool in Summer. This kind of goes for all breeds, but don't worry there are so many creative ways out there you'll be sure to find at least 1/2 a dozen. As for temperament my Buff Orps seem to be the most friendly and docile. Next I rank our Black Australorps. They are sweet and known for good egg production. Mine have not started yet so I have no input. Egg production is not a huge concern here anyhow.

To end this lenghty post: Good luck on your adventure. It truly is an amazing experience from beginning to end.
 
Welcome to BYC!

You will find a lot of good information here. Keep on asking questions and you will get many good answers.

You may also want to read the FAQ below.
 

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