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Katthen

In the Brooder
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Hi,
I am recently retired and have always thought about raising chickens and now that I have time, I am considering starting. I have come here - thanks to google - to learn all I can before beginning. My town allows me to have up to 6 hens. I don’t know if it is better to begin with chicks. Or just purchase full grown hens, as it is already August. And I have no clue what breed would be best. I live in NY. If that makes a difference. I will be here lurking and learning. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
 
Katthen said:
Hi,
I am recently retired and have always thought about raising chickens and now that I have time, I am considering starting. I have come here - thanks to google - to learn all I can before beginning. My town allows me to have up to 6 hens. I don’t know if it is better to begin with chicks. Or just purchase full grown hens, as it is already August. And I have no clue what breed would be best. I live in NY. If that makes a difference. I will be here lurking and learning. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Click to expand...
Coop first, then birds ;) got plans for a coop?
You don't want to head into your first winter under-prepared.

Welcome to BYC!
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Welcome to BYC, and congratulation on your retirement. It's a bit late in the year for chicks, but here in NJ all of the counties are having their fairs, and 4 H members are selling project birds. Not certain where you live in NY, but the Sussex Co fair in North Jersey is ongoing. They have Delaware pullets for sale $25, Buff Orpington pullets $20 and for a real bargain red sex link pullets $12.
 
:frowHi and welcome to the flock!

I am going to respectfully disagree with those who suggest starting with chicks. A couple of reasons: chicks are demanding and the learning curve is great. Losses can be devastating and discouraging! Also, with chicks, you may find yourself unexpectedly in possession of cockerels (young roosters) and not know how to get rid of them.

My husband I purchased a few older laying hens to get started. We weren't limited as to numbers, and we didn't really care about egg production - we got them as insect control! The lady we got them from was an amazing source of information! A year or two later we were ready to order baby chicks. By that time we were reasonably sure our set-up was predator-proof and we had the knowledge, skills, experience and support to take this on at that level. We've only grown from there! It's been an experience we've enjoyed now for almost nine years, and it just keeps getting better - especially since I've found BYC!
 
Welcome, fellow retiree! Nice to meet you. I kept chickens years ago, '80s & 90's, pre-internet. This is a great resource! I only had my grandparents to guide me. I started with an order of chicks from Murray McMurray hatchery, and was able to raise them just fine even as a first-timer. Build the coop first, that goes without saying. Save yourself a lot of heartache, consider carefully the things in your neighborhood that would like to have a chicken dinner on you! Dogs were the big problem for me back then! Build the coop based on the local wildlife and neighborhood "pets" that will come for dinner. Enjoy! I am just getting back into having chickens now that we have bought a chicken-friendly place. Starting something new is great!
 
Good for you! I started at 70 and I've been enjoying chicken keeping and chicken company thoroughly.

First of all, congrats on beginning by coming here to get info. This is a spot full of really good and reliable info. Second, I'm with aart, get your coop plans together and get it sited and built before you even order anything. Then it's time to think about populating it.

I agree with BigBlueHen too, that, at this time of year, more mature birds will be better. It will soon be getting cold in NYS and you want birds that are fully feathered out and have a nice supply of body fat to get them through the cold months to come. But why not continue getting information, surveying what problems people typically have, what their start-up questions are, etc. and order chicks in the Spring? More will be available so you'll have a lot of choice about what varieties you want. And you'll have more information under your belt and start out feeling more confident.
 

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