tons of newbie questions in AZ

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demonica29

demonica29

Hatching
10 Years
Apr 25, 2009
9
0
7
Queen Creek, AZ
hi, i'm monica. born and raised a city kid, recently spent time living on a ranch 17 mile out into the high desert and got a taste for the "crunchy granola, tree hugger" lifestyle. now i'm back in the phoenix metropolitan are, i'm in a town that was all cows and farms just a few years ago so having chickens is not a problem.

my time on the ranch gave me a love of fresh. we grew all our own produce in a greenhouse and although we didn't have chickens, theough purchasing fresh eggs, i have discovered the wonder of them.

so here's my questions, stupid though some of them might seem, i am totally new to this. first, in my house there are 3 adults and an 18 month old, my mom lives 3 miles away. how many chickens do we need to provide eggs for us? second, i have a gianormous backyard, all covered in gravel, no landscaping, no nothing. i am in the process of setting up some raised planters to get my veggies growing again. will i need to keep the chickens away from the veggies? which is better, fencing the chickens or the veggies? since i have a dog, i assume the chickens.

i want chickens only, no roosters, i'm originally from boston, so brown eggs are what looks normal to me, but the blue and green eggs i have gotten fresh are really cool. egg color is low on my list of prerequisites, but all other things being equal, i prefer colored eggs. that being said, what chickens should i get? i want good layers but friendly birds are probably even more important since i have a toddler.

and lastly, how much initial cash outlay for EVERYTHING i need to get started, so i know how long i will have to save. oh, and what exactly is everything i'll need? i have been doing research and have fallen in love with the eglu, it seems pretty complete but kinda expensive, what do y'all think?

TIA for taking the time to help a newbie (in all ways) out!
 
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Hi Demonica!
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I'm newish here too so not an expert, but there's a ton to learn here if you just keep reading the threads (you don't need to sleep or work, do you?
gig.gif
). As for dogs and chickens, you always need to keep the chickens safe, so fencing them, or otherwise making a barrier to keep the dogs out, is probably your safest bet. As for the chickens and your veggies - the chickens will eat just about anything, so whatever you want reserved for your own use should probably be off-limits to the girls. Since you're in sunny AZ you probably want to look into types of chickens that do better in hot weather, I'd imagine . . . that may make your decision for you before you get to pick the egg colors. I'm sure others will have more suggestions. Oh, about the money - I think you can spend as little or as much as your imagination allows; many people here have made great coops out of recycled materials, while others (speaking, ahem, from a bit of experience) have gone a little nutso making little chicken palaces. Either way, your chickens will be happy as long as they have good food, fresh water and a nice safe place to hang out. Good luck!
 
Hi from Virginia and
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. I just recently set my friends and their children up with 7 baby chicks to start and with the 7 lb feeder and 1 gallon waterer and the chicks plus the chick grit and 50 lbs medicated starter feed it cost me $50. Oh - add on $10 for a heat lamp and holder for the brooder. But it might be less in your area. Good luck!!!
 

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