Well all this talk about chickens, I just cleaned the 2 coops and the grower pen today and it took me 2 hours.
Its so cold that some of the shavings were frozen to the floor where the waterer leaked a little and I had to scrape it all off. What fun.
But they all seem very content with their nice new fluffy shavings.
I agree with the easter eggers, at least my experience is that they lay later, I never had any of mine lay until at least 7 months.
The rest all came into lay around 6 months although my cuckoo maran just laid her first egg at 8 months, thinking it could be the cold weather but I don't know.
I have around 50 chickens now. I have a few of those black copper marans that are suppose to lay the chocolate eggs, the darkest of all with the copper and brown spots.
Well, of course they aren't laying yet either, just like the easter eggers, the colored layers like to keep you waiting for those pretty eggs.
I love welsummers, very pretty and good temperment.
Right now I am raising, Black copper marans, cuckoo marans, black sex links, easter eggers, silkies, buff orpingtons, blue orpingtons, rhode island reds, new hampshire reds, barred rocks, giant blue cochins,
speckled sussex,silver laced wyandottes, blue wyandottes,araucanas,frizzles and sizzles.
I think I remembered them all.
If you are worried about raising chickens in suburbia, its really not an issue unless you have roosters.
Just don't get roosters and keep the coop clean and the neighbors will really not care. Especially when you are sharing all those free local eggs.
I have a fenced in yard and I just turn them loose every morning and they go into the coop on their own at night, if you are concerned for their safety you can just build a run, as long as they get access to the outside world they will be happy.
I have one that thinks she is a dog or maybe even a human, I haven't figured it out yet,and she follows me around, and screeches outside my kitchen door to be let in the house.
People will come over to visit and you can hear her screeching and sqwaking outside the door and pecking at the door with her beak, she gets very indignant when you ignore her. It sounds crazy but its true.
If I am not quick enough she slides right in behind me and starts walking around the house like she owns the place.
A couple of times I have come out of a room to find her in the house and i have no idea how she got in, I can only assume that someone else was not quick enough either and they didn't realize they let her in.
If I call the dogs in she comes running in behind them and goes into the pantry with them for a drink of water.
I had no idea chickens had such personalities, they are a riot to watch in action.
You guys will love raising chickens, I wouldn't worry about the 25 minimum order because you will end up wanting more anyway.
The reason I didn't order from a hatchery was because I didn't want 25 chicks and now I have more than that.