Want to have backyard Chickens

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Dowbell

Dowbell

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Washington State
Hello,

I want to raise chickens in my backyard. I'm still in the research phase. last year I bought a house in a nice neighborhood. It's just a 1/4 acre lot surrounded by other 1/4 lots. I found that my city let's you have chickens and love the idea of raising them for eggs.
I'm still figuring things out and hoping to have most all my question answer in a year or 2. Thats when I'm hoping to be able to start raising chickens. some of my questions are. how many chickens should i get? what type of chickens would be good for my small property? I have 3 kids now and they are still very little so how will they do with the chickens? and most of my property is shaded by my neighbors trees is it ok that the chickens are shaded most of the day?

Thanks ~Matthew
 
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Welcome to Backyard chickens, thanks for joining the flock. You might like checking out the Learning Center, so you get a good idea what is needed to raise and keep chickens.
 
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided join our flock. Raising chickens is a wonderful experience for children. My children and granddaughter all loved our chickens and made lap pets of the calmer and more gentle breeds. X2 on drumstick diva; definitely check out our Learning Center at https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center. There is lots of useful information there than will keep you from making beginners' mistakes. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
 
Hi Matthew, welcome to BYC!

It seems to me that kids and chickens are great together. Kids can learn a lot about chickens watching them grow and if you involve them in the day-to-day tasks, they can learn to be responsible for an animal. Plus chickens are just funny little creatures that the whole family can enjoy watching.

You may have limitations on how many chickens your town will allow you to have so check your ordinances first. And even if your laws permit roosters, I would advise against having one. You don't need a roo to get eggs and they can (not always but can) get aggressive...sure wouldn't want a child scared or hurt.

There are a lot of breeds out there to choose from. Here's a link to a Learning Center article that may help you decide:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...cken-guide-to-picking-backyard-chicken-breeds

As for the shade you asked about...chickens do better with the cold than the heat so the shade shouldn't be a problem (maybe more of an asset if anything).

Wish you lots of luck and if you have questions, feel free to ask. There are a lot of friendly, helpful members here and a ton of information.
 
welcome-byc.gif
so glad you have joined us.

You have already been given links to the learning center and that's the best place to start.

Review the details of your cities ordinances on chickens, coops and runs. Ordinances often limit the location and type of housing and run. Explore the coop sections to see what will fit into your yard/landscape. Make sure the nest boxes are "children friendly" so they can participate in egg collections. IMO better to have external nests so you don't have to enter the coop for those eggs. Think about how you will access all areas for cleaning so you don't have to bend, crawl or stoop for the chores.

Decide whether you will keep them in confinement or allow free access to your yard . Many ordinances also don't allow free ranging. If they will live in confinement, select friendly breeds that live well in confinement. I have buff orpintons and barred rocks all happy without yard or ranging access. There are a number of friendly egg producers that are also confinement happy. If you have dogs or cats make sure you include protection of your flock from them. Explore the predator possibilities and build with protection in mind.

Most ordinances dictate the maximum number of chickens you can have - most I have reviewed is 3-4 hens. Most don't allow any roosters - and if you are allowed to have one then you will need 8-10 hens. I would suggest you start with baby chicks, those early days are so much fun for everyone. Make sure to pick a source that offers sexed chicks and not straight run to lower your chances of roosters. But do have a plan on how to rehome any unexpected roosters.

There's so much information on BYC, so please explore. Feel free to ask and post questions, we're here to help.

Having your own backyard chickens is a fulfilling fun experience you and your family will certainly enjoy.
 

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