Newby from Bozeman, Mt

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Feb 9, 2019
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Bozeman, Montana
Hi all! I just received a Murray McMurray catalog in the mail and am planning my intro into chickens this spring. We live in Bozeman, MT, where temps have ranged between -16 to 48 degrees F all in the past week, on 5 acres with a year-round creek. One of our “garden sheds” used to be a henhouse- has a ramp, doors in/out, glass windows and nest boxes along one wall and is large enough to park our riding lawn mower in it (it’s current use) and we also have a 100’ x 20’ commercial greenhouse that will be refurbished as a possible winter “run?” We have 2 daughters, a 5 yr old and a 5 month old, breed/compete with Labrador retrievers in conformation and performance venues, and I’m looking forward to learning more about chickens as pets.

Looking for the most social family pets, good egg layers, and just fun pretty hens in a variety. May even be interested in showing at some point as our 5 yr old reaches 4-H age. She has show our dogs in AKC pee wee events. Any suggestions on family-friendly, cold-hardy, pretty breeds?

Any other catalogs or places you suggest to get healthy, nice chickens? Also- what health care recommendations do you have for a backyard flock, and is there a good size to start with? 5? 10? 3?
 
Hi and welcome to BYC. I'm sure others will help with suggestions re: breed. Here's a couple of useful links on first aid items -
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/suggestions-for-a-first-aid-kit.1150128/

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1149741/topic-of-the-week-emergency-first-aid-preparedness

Here are some links to key resources:
Best wishes

Pork Pie
 
Hello, welcome to Backyard Chickens!:woot "Chickens For Backyards" is usually the hatchery where I order my chickens and they generally guarantee live shipment and mine also thrive in healthy condition.

I would recommend Buff Orpingtons for a cold hardy breed and would start with a smaller flock in the beginning and gradually increase your flock size if you decide you want more. You don't need to listen to my opinion though ... whatever amount you think is right for you is your choice. :)
 
https://www.thecapecoop.com/6-chicken-breeds-perfect-for-cold-climates-and-2-that-are-not/ . Here is a bantam Favorell I had in the past. A young gal showed her, won a nice blue ribbon.
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How many to start with depends on how you plan to manage your flock. Chickens will live up to 10 years but only lays eggs steadily for 2 or 3 years before slowing way down.

Will you be free ranging? Or building a secure run... or using the greenhouse year round? The total number of chickens you keep also depends on coop and run space available, generally each bird will need 4 SF in the coop and 10 SF in the run:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need

You could get all your chickens at once and have a lot of eggs for a few years and then not much later on. Or you could start with a few and add new ones every year, but you'll also have to keep in mind what your limit is, and maybe rotate out your oldest birds as you bring in new ones, though some people just keep adding to no end. Chicken math! Here's a good system that I haven't yet been able to stick with:
A 3 Year Chicken Rotation to Optimize Year-Round Laying

If you do want to add new birds regularly, I'd recommend only once a year because by then, the flock is mature enough to be more tolerant of newly arriving chicks. It can be quite stressful and problematic when trying to add mixed age adolescent birds together.

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Good luck in your new chicken adventure!
 

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