Spring 2017 first timers post!

[Yvette 11]

I am working on my first coop, the brooder will be in the coop and I am using the Mama Heating Pad.  I am getting 7 chicks the first week of April 2017.   I was hoping to get a few of us newbies together who are gearing up for our first time this spring!  Lets post pictures of our coops, our birds when we get them and see who gets the first egg!

Who is in?

Gary from Idyllwild Ca here

hi im getting my first 2 chickens this sunday, so looking forward to it

read up all i can, wish me luck!

 

[KenStorm989]

I'm getting my first chickens the First week of April!!!! I'm working on the coop when its not too cold out lol!

 

[Spartan22]

I'm getting my first chickens the First week of April!!!! I'm working on the coop when its not too cold out lol!

Welcome & Congrats! What are you getting?

 

[KenStorm989]

Welcome & Congrats! What are you getting?

gonna start with 5 or 6 chickens, a mix of Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds. Need hearty, ok in the winter, Egg layers. Most people have directed me to these two breeds for beginners. I have a Nice area where i can build a coop and a run. getting everything ready on the nice days between the cold days. The Brooder in my garage is ready at least, will get the chicks in april! i'll have the Coop done in more than enough time! I have all the materials (except the roof) bought and paid for already. just need to cut and assemble.

 

[chick22]

New, here!!! We are going to be getting our chicks from TSC when they have there chick days. I'm not to familiar with what breeds they carry but we are wanting to get 6 chicks. We are going to be building our coop and run in the next couple of weeks. I found a coop that I like built from pallet wood. I will try to post pics as the process gets started underway.

 

[Nksg75]

Hi, I am not a first time chicken owner, but this will be my first time ordering chicks by mail. They are being shipped on January 30th.

I ordered 15 from MY Pet Chicken. Olive Eggers, Easter eggers, silver laced wynodette, Astrolop, buff Orpington & lavender Orpington.
I live in Texas, and they are coming from Ohio(yikes, long way!!)
I am so darn nervous about our post office! I went up there yesterday to tell them that I will be expecting live chicks on (Tuesday 1/31, or Wed Feb1), and the lack of knowledge from this postal employee just made me even more nervous.

MPC has been really great so far. I am a bundle of nerves. I was never this bad when I hatched them myself!!

Here is my brooder(yes, 11 yr olds can find ways to entertain themselves)

 

[CacklebrryHound]

Hello, I'm another newbe that is taking the plunge this spring. My mom raised chickens when I was growing up, but I always viewed it as something that cut into my game time. I was in the hardware store last fall and a gentleman walked by me carrying a bale of pine shavings, and when the smell hit me I realized how much I missed having them. As soon as I got home (and to much eye rolling from one that shall remain nameless) declared I want some birds. I read a couple books, and haunted this sight for the past few months and managed to beat my plan down to a reasonable undertaking. I'm planning on ordering 8 white silkies for a base for my broody "breeding program" I guess you could call it, 3 Easter egger bantams for color in the egg basket and for year 3 breeding plans, and 2 silver and 2 gold sebrights for fun, flash, and possible breeding. I have caught endless amounts of flak for my enthusiasm on this project. I guess most people think I'm extremely odd for having a five year plan for a flock of birds, but I say normal is boring. If you're going to do something have some fun doing it. Sorry about the long winded first post, but I would like to hear what you think.

 

[Nksg75]

I think that's a great plan. However I Hope you have a strong willed personality, but as you probably already know, many people on here start out with a certain number they want, and it seldom stays there.
Chicken math!!!
If you do stick with your number, please share with us how you do it!!
I couldn't stick with mine!!
6 hens =23....
Why??
Because there are just so many breeds!! And I have silkies to!! And they go broody all the time!! I wanted each of them to have their chance to be a mommy!! Hmm, yet they won't stop!!!!

 

[CacklebrryHound]

Lol originally I wanted to get 15 silkies, 3 each of the two sebrights mentioned, 3 GL wyandottes, 3 Americaunas (sorry if I spelled that wrong), 3 BC Marans, and a couple of Jersey Giants, and since I've also added BLR Wyandottes to my wish list. I still intend on getting all of them, but I'm going to do it in stages. I want to end up with at least 3 hens and a roo from the silkies, 2 EE bantam hens, and I'm going to let personalitys determine things as far as the sebrights go. I have a plan to foster the larger breed chicks to my broodies the following year. I've read that hen raised chicks tend to be healthier than chicks raised in a brooder and I'm hoping it will reduce the likelihood of the large birds picking on the bantams. Plus I want multiple roos and I've read raising them together from babies reduces the likelihood of bloody contests later on.

 

[Spartan22]

gonna start with 5 or 6 chickens, a mix of Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds.  Need hearty, ok in the winter, Egg layers.  Most people have directed me to these two breeds for beginners.  I have a Nice area where i can build a coop and a run.  getting everything ready on the nice days between the cold days.  The Brooder in my garage is ready at least, will get the chicks in april!  i'll have the Coop done in more than enough time!  I have all the materials (except the roof) bought and paid for already.  just need to cut and assemble.

Your just couple of hours east from me pretty much the same weather/temps.

Those are great choice, gave me lots of eggs on my first year w/ chicken and my all time favorites.