Hello everyone. I'm new to the site, new to chickens. I have been engaged in a year long debate with the significant other on adding chickens to our "zoo". It was an occasional thing, the mentioning of chickens, but finally last night, with yet another battle against ants in the yard, I convinced him chickens would be GREAT! So, here we are. He's agreed, and even seems excited about it, but I have no idea what to do next! So, I ventured over here to learn more. Look forward to getting to know everyone and learning tons about chickens. Keri and the zoo (Two dogs, three cats and two turtles. Soon to be chickens too!)
Welcome to BYC!! I think everyone here has a zoo. We have around 80 chickens, 5 horses, 2 cats, four dogs, quite alot of guineas, 2 pekin ducks w/ 8 eggs, 2 goats, 3 kids and 1 baby on the way! Disclaimer:Animals (and kids) are listed in no particular order...we do not neccesarily prefer the chickens to the goats....or the kids....most of the time.
Congratulations and condolences! Chickens are addictive! This is a great resource, and there are some terrific books on raising chickens. Storey's Guide is kinda the Chicken Bible. Some things to think about: 1. Are chickens allowed in your community? Some towns and even neighborhood organizations have very strict regulations. Some areas allow hens but not roosters (noisy!). Check it out before you get your heart set on chickies. 2. What do you want the chickens for? Pets, eggs, meat? Some or all of these? Some breeds are better layers than others, and some are better in hotter/colder areas of the country. 3. How many? How much space do you have? How many can you take care of? 4. Coop construction and design - the sky's the limit, it just depends on your space, budget and number of birds. There may also be civil codes governing coop size and placement in your area. Good luck!