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torretornado

torretornado

Chirping
7 Years
Nov 10, 2016
42
2
84
Massachusetts
Hi everyone! My name is Torre. We have settled into our new home and have started thinking about some laying hens. I'm totally green and would love some direction on where to start!

We are in Gardner, MA. Obviously we need cold hardy chickens! I know our city has no ordinances against chickens and the Farming Act in MA technically gives me the right to have hens, is it advisable to call the city and verify, first?

We are thinking 4-5 hens. What types are best for the cold weather? Thanks so much for reading! happy to be here!
 
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Hello from Virginia
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and Welcome to BYC!

I would first check our the "learning center" for helpful articles. A few breeds I personally like are Australorps, Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, and Wyandottes. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask!
 
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Greetings from Kansas, Torre, and :welcome! Great to have you aboard and welcome to the chicken lifestyle! :yiipchick
I think you should call your city just to make sure. You wouldn't want to go to the time and expense of doing all that's required only to learn there was an ordinance against it. If there is a prohibition against them you can research how to turn the ordinance around in this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/37/local-chicken-laws-ordinances-and-how-to-change-them
A great place to begin your chicken journey would be the Learning Center here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
It is loaded with informative article spanning the entire gamut of chicken raising.
In terms of breeds you can research the various attributes of chickens in the Breeds Forum here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds Please know, however, that chickens are much more adaptable to cold than heat and I would suppose nearly any breed in existence will be just fine with an adequate coop and proper nutrition. Large, floppy comb varieties do tend to suffer frost bite. So get whatever kind suits your fancy!
If you'd like to touch base with fellow Bay Staters, find the MA thread in this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you They may be able to advise you on breeds they like.
Best wishes on your chicken journey thanks for joining BYC! :)
 
Nice to meet you Torre, thank you for joining us at Backyard Chickens. I think you might enjoy subscribing to your state thread first. You may find other BYCers in your area, and they are a very helpful bunch.
 
drumstick diva said:
Nice to meet you Torre,  thank you for joining us at Backyard Chickens.  I think you might enjoy subscribing to your state thread first.  You may find other BYCers in your area, and they are a very helpful bunch.
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Hi! Thank you! I did that! we are planning our coop as we speak. Pinterest is helpful!
 
Build your own coop and run.Those prefab coops are awful. They might look cute, but usually way too small and cheaply made. In cold weather your chickens need protection.
 
We were planning 10 sq feet per chicken, sound about right? My husband is going to build it, after reading reviews on prefab, I'm not impressed.
 

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