Starting My First Backyard Flock!

Hello! My name is Ashley and I am from Portland, OR.

(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
I have not yet had chickens! My husband and I are doing all the research we can before starting our first flock this Spring. We are hoping to get our baby chicks sometimes within the next 4-8 weeks depending on the shipments to our favorite local feed store (Urban Farm Store, 34th and Powell Blvd)

(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
We do not yet have any chickens, although the number for us to start our flock with is currently our biggest question that we can't seem to find an answer to. We would love some input! We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 small children) and eat an average amount of eggs. We would also like to have enough eggs to give to my parents who live nearby and want to "invest" some start up money into our flock.

(3) What breeds do you have?
After doing our research, the breeds we would like to have (in order) are Brahmas, Sussex, Rhode Island Red,Wyandotte, and Plymouth Rock. From what we've read, these breeds would do well in the temperate climate in Portland, lay a decent amount of eggs and are known for their tendencies to like human interaction when socialized from a chick. It's really important to us that the hens are not terrified or aggressive with our daughters. I have also been hearing a lot of positive comments on Sex-Links, although I would appreciate a bit more info if anyone wants to give it

(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com?
I found it in the resource section in A Chicken In Every Yard, written by the owners of our local Urban Farm Store. I bought the book hoping it would be everything I could hope for in a book about raising chickens in my backyard since it would be tailored to the city I live in... I was not disappointed! A great read with a ton of information!

(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
I am a Stay At Home mom of two small girls, so I do not have a lot of free time for hobbies at the moment. I do like to read and craft (knitting, crocheting, sewing, cross-stitch) when I get a spare second.

(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
My husband and I recently bought our first house and were lucky enough to have a large backyard with a chicken run already in the backyard! There is an adjoining covered structure that we will use to build our chicken coop into to provide a bit of extra shelter from the rain. We figured now is the perfect time to start our flock! Our daughters, ages 1 and 3.5, have been around dogs and cats their entire life. We have been raising them to know how to care for and respect their animals, knowing that these early life lessons can be invaluable later in life.
On our walks to different parks around Portland, we began noticing CHICKENS in yards in inner SE Portland! My daughter (2 at the time) and I were completely surprised and delighted, quickly making a regular route past as many chicken flocks as we could to the parks. At the time, we did not have the space for a flock of our own and didn't want to hassle convincing our landlady, so we had to make due admiring the chickens from afar. We are super excited to be able to start a flock of our own, especially now that our youngest is walking on her own and able to tag along in the yard!

Sorry for the life story!

My major question that can hopefully be answered before we are ready to purchase our chicks is "How many chickens would you recommend for a starter flock that will provide enough eggs for 4 adults and 2 children?"

Thank you so much!
Ashley

 

I forgot to mention when listing the breeds we are interested in that we want a mixed flock. We will probably only have one of each breed that we decide on to see how we like the breed. We may supplement the flock with more of a favorite, or continue to have an extremely mixed flock. We have read a lot of positive things about keeping it mixed and it provides a much more interesting group to watch!