Hello local chicken lover
I am a complete newb and just starting to read up and research local resources for growing chickens in my smallish urban back yard in Brooklyn NY.
The challenges that I face from the get go are: getting the hens themselves, and getting supplies for them - thats it (
)
I was hoping to buy or adopt egg laying hens the 1st time around to make things simpler (youngsters seem to have lots of issues that I am not knowledgeable enough to deal with,yet) - I dont think those can be shipped, so does anyone know where I can buy them locally?
I am pretty handy and plan to build a small 3-4 hen coop myself, I can mail order the accessories needed to make it a "home". The ongoing need for feed will also be an issue - not sure where to get that... no one sells bails of hey locally... Wood chips are sort of cheap in home-depot although they are mostly shredded and colored ...
any advise from locals here would be appreciated.
PS: Mother-in-law who raised chickens in the "old country" told me I am in for a rude awakening with the smell a coop will create in my back yard. If I keep things clean, and create enough ventilation, I think I should be ok - what do you think? any tips on this topic? if I let these guys out of their run one in a while and let them roam the yard, will my grass suffer?
thanks for the info
Newb.