Planning With Backyard Chickens

[mrsaubrey]

I have been hoping and planning to have backyard chickens for four years. I would like to start with 4-5 hens. I have been looking at coops, etc. If anyone has a nice coop for sale or knows where to get good laying hens, please let me know. I have kids, so if you know of a "friendly" breed please let me know. I am also interested in laying longevity as well as longer lifespans.

I saw a post about someone wondering if sunchokes (jerusalem artichoke tubers) are okay to feed chicken and the thread wasn't clear to me. I grow a ton of sunchokes and many other things, which I would feed my future chickens, but want to make sure they are okay.

Any tips, tricks, or general information would be very helpful. Is this (end of summer) a good time to get birds? Should I go with chicks or grown hens?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Nice to have you here! FC

Getting chicks will help you educate yourself better and create a bond as well...​

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to Backyardchickens.com aka BYC!
We are so glad you joined our flock.
Jump right in and make yourself at home.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC Here's an article that discusses treats: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens.47738/ I'm a big fan of day old chicks or hatching my own. Again, welcome.

 

[drumstick diva]

Your chicks will socialize easier , than adult birds that may not have had much contact with people.

 

[blackdust951]

hello and welcome to backyard chickens! thank you for joining us

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Personally, I'd go for point of lay pullets - both the additional expenses of brooding and learning curves are reduced.

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