Uh Oh... I figured my sq ft :)

[abanjaf]

Have you tried looking at mypetchicken.com? You don't have to order 25 chicks to place an order and they carry several of the breeds that you're interested in

 

[Lorije1]

Yes, I have been there and that place is horrible! That is what made me start doubting my original 6 pullets and start thinking of more..... and more. Last night I lay awake thinking of knocking out the wall between my newly built chicken house and my shed so I can have the WHOLE little building!! For CHICKENS.... that I don't have!!!!!!!!!

That said.... when I get some more $$ built up (this chicken preparation will break the bank!) I do plan to tear out the wall, and I do plan to order 12 brown egg layers from MPC.

 

[abanjaf]

Ha ha ha!!! I completely understand! My DH just finished converting a shed to another coop! We had an attached outdoor shed to the existing coop, well now we have two coops and you wanna know why? All because my daughter wanted to hatch some of our eggs!!! Well, got an incubator, hatched a first batch of our own babies, and then discovered the joys of ordering eggs! Now our own 5-week-old babies are spending their days in their newly renovated coop and their nights in the brooder, and the one-week-old chicks (eggs were from Texas) are still enjoying their brooder in the living room. And guess what? The incubator is full of eggs again, some locally a couple of hours drive away in Central Florida and some eggs from Illinois! I tell you, chickens are a sickness!!! The DH says that I am now cut off! No more eggs in the bator! We already had 15 chickens before, now enjoying 14 chicks, and I'll probably get another dozen from the incubator! I'm so mad at my daughter, look at what she did!!! Shed renovations, eggs, hatching, and oh so lovely little babies!!! Yeah, I've lost it I know! Oh well..........

 

[Happy Chooks]

You think you're in trouble now..............just don't buy an incubator!

Well, lets see. I started with 7, then lost 2 in the first year. Then hatched, then hatched again and suddenly I'm up to 25 chickens! (how'd that happen? *scratches head*) And the kicker is only 5 of them are laying!!!

All the rest are too young to be laying. I am eagerly awaiting my first wellie eggs! (they are 23 weeks old) And now we're building a 2nd coop that's 8X12 because the one that holds 15 chickens is not enough

So, now, on to your situation:

From my experience here are your MUST breeds. Barred rock, EE, and Welsummers. I had a BO, but we lost her in December. (she got scared by something and flew into the coop and broke her neck) She wasn't overly friendly, but was a good layer. (And if you want a broody to hatch chicks later BO's and Wyandotte's are great broodies.....cochins too) My RIR is a great layer and super sweet to people, but not so nice to the "new" chickens on integration. (those would be the welsummers)

If your coop is raised off the ground, then they can rest under it in the rainy or hot weather. Mine is raised and they love taking their afternoon nap under there.

I guess I didn't help you narrow your list down any, did I? Refer to 2nd paragraph again.

 

[Lorije1]

No incubators!
No incubators!


HA I don't even have my FIRST little chick! I have decided to go with 10 though...

 

[ByHisHands]

Quote:
HAHAHA, just got my incubator today!!!

....you will eventually cave

I have 10 hens now and IT ISN'T ENOUGH!!! I have 5 BO's and 5 Blue Laced Wyandottes, plus 1 spoiled
rotten rooster. I LOVE my BO's AND my BLW's, they are great girls. The BO's aren't as friendly as the BLW's, but
I don't think they were hand raised as babies either (we got them at an auction). I am so happy with these breeds that
I am getting more of them in more colors. I HIGHLY recommend both breeds. Right now we are getting 8-9 eggs a day
from them. They are great layers

I hope you get your chicks soon, I am hoping to get some tomorrow...the wait has been killing me! Make sure
to post pics as soon as you get them home

 

[Lorije1]

Look past the construction debris

Gonna put a bit of hardware cloth on the bottom of the fencing... gotta cut the chicken door and put in roosts. and get some chickens.

ETA: it looks like huge gaps in the house, but it is just wet boards

The hen house is the front half... back half is a storage shed. For now.