South Carolina

[KPenley]

I'm so sorry about your rooster jamij! I think that will be the hardest part for me...the death involved with chickens. Seems like there is alot when you take into account chicks, illnesses, and predator attacks.
Thank you for the chart link EggieRowe! Did you go the hatchery route? Or order from a breeder? I've contacted a couple of SC breeders since I *think* we'll go pick up eggs/chicks instead of ordering through the mail this first go round.

 

[jamij]

We do have roosters- not by choice at first- they were "ooopses" that we thought were girls! We have too many at the moment and will have to find homes for a couple soon! But we love them - we just had to put our favorite roo down and we are so sad bc he was the favorite and we loved hearing him crow! I am guessing whoever crows first among the rest of our young Roos will become the new fav

 

[EggieRowe]

I'm so sorry about your rooster jamij! I think that will be the hardest part for me...the death involved with chickens. Seems like there is alot when you take into account chicks, illnesses, and predator attacks.
Thank you for the chart link EggieRowe! Did you go the hatchery route? Or order from a breeder? I've contacted a couple of SC breeders since I *think* we'll go pick up eggs/chicks instead of ordering through the mail this first go round.

I ordered from a hatchery because I just didn't think about local breeders and my mom had an order credit from the year before that she wasn't going to use. I had used BYC to make my first coop, but didn't participate in the forum - I had no idea there were so many local chicken enthusiasts! In the future, if I add to my flock, I will get chicks from local breeders. Not that my experience was bad with the hatchery, but I'd like to know who and where my birds come from.

 

[KPenley]

I'm glad you had a good experience with a hatchery. I'm with you though...I'd like to see Mom and Dad and get an idea of what baby is going to look like

 

[riversedgefarm]

Hey Ya'll! Newbie from Anderson question. How on earth do you decide which chickens to start with? When I began researching this site I had one thing in mind...white eggs. But after a week of devouring these pages and gorgeous pictures there are a dozen different breeds with different egg colors I want! So how did you do it?

welcome newbe. I started with 6 leghorns cuz they was cute at tractor supply and then chicken math started they was all white and I wanted some with some color so I got americanas then k found one that had fuzzy feet had to have that one to now I have owned chickens since april and I now own close to 100 chickens every one is named aNd special in there own way. I got the 50 chicken breeds book from tractor supply it really seemed to help lots of info

 

[leirob007]

Hey Ya'll! Newbie from Anderson question. How on earth do you decide which chickens to start with? When I began researching this site I had one thing in mind...white eggs. But after a week of devouring these pages and gorgeous pictures there are a dozen different breeds with different egg colors I want! So how did you do it?

IF you have access to look at several breeds and see what catches your fancy ( like a state fair, Tractor Supply sponsors chicken swaps I believe you can check into that. etc ) that is one way local feed and seed stores is another and I bet you can find a small animal auction somewhere not too far away. H&H in Pelzer is a good one. Tooter Town is in Greer ( if you get to tooter town early and talk to Scotty he will see to it you don't miss exactly what your looking for. )( there you can talk to all the folks you can find and they all know all about chickens LOL ) .. . but your the one that decides your breed or breeds. Most people it seems have mixed flocks. They enjoy the diversity and laugh at the way each set has totally different habits and personalities . I prefer to run and maintain a single bloodline in an effort to keep my breed as pure as possible. Which is where I get my enjoyment out of them knowing I'm also being beneficial to the breed I chose ( Rhode Island Reds ) Next step for the novice is research. lots and lots of research and pages and pages of notes. then you compare your notes. when you put together all the characteristics you have learned to look for ( broody, annual egg counts, personalities, habits, tolerances right on down to leg color if you want to. color and size of eggs. all these things will play in your mind before you decide on something like a barred rock. a rhode island red. buff orphington sexlinked ( red or black ) , Maybe you want something feather legged and cute which blows all those right out of the running.. Just don't decide you want to come home with a roundhead that looks like a gamecock that will eat you alive and peck the bones for days. and have your children play with it.

 

[leirob007]

and if your intereasted and want to count chickens before they hatch. I set 16 RIR eggs saturday with a hatch date of 10/13 if your intereasted. so far no one has staked a claim too but I do have a sibling ( can't remember if it's my brother or sister at the moment lol ) with the same hatch date. so they may want one... but other then that this hatch is just warming up the incubator for the following weeks.

 

[Patsy29332]

I have a young pair of bantam Cochin/Silkie cross for sale. Asking $15 for the pair. They are really calm and sweet (and cute)...they are about 3-4 months old (they are not frizzle but will carry the frizzle gene - see parents below):



Their parents are Red Man my bantam frizzle Cochin I snuck away with from Amy Phillips West Knoll Farms and my white Silkie gal Sapphire:



Not the greatest pictures...they are much prettier in person! LOL

 

[Patsy29332]

I have a young pair of bantam Cochin/Silkie cross for sale. Asking $15 for the pair. They are really calm and sweet (and cute)...they are about 3-4 months old (they are not frizzle but will carry the frizzle gene - see parents below):



Their parents are Red Man my bantam frizzle Cochin I snuck away with from Amy Phillips West Knoll Farms and my white Silkie gal Sapphire:



Not the greatest pictures...they are much prettier in person! LOL

Here is a better pic of Dad after I found some bantam Cochin hens for him:


And here is a pic of Sapphire when I first brought her home:

 

[KPenley]

Thanks for the welcome riversedge. It does look like most people succumb to chicken math! What kind of rooster (I think) is your avatar?

Thank you so much for all the information leirob007! I live pretty close to Clemson, so I was planning on taking the family to see any upcoming shows that might be there. Thank you also for the offer on your chicks, but we won't be ready to purchase until late Winter/Spring. Lots to research and building to do before then. I hope your hatch goes smoothly!

Patsy, I will have to show my son your pictures tomorrow. He LOVES white silkies And Sapphire is gorgeous.

After reading The Chicken Handbook by V. Head, I've really been drawn to double laced Barnevelders but it looks like they are crazy hard to find. I also love that Cream Legbars are autosexing and lay blue eggs! I guess my tastes run to the rarer side. We'll see who wins out in the end...but my son has been known to bat his beautiful brown eyes and get what he wants. I'll have to ask Hubby and the girls their preferences after we learn more and visit a show. I was thinking that I'd go with one breed, but who knows? We might end up with a flock and egg basket of many colors.