My New Chicken Adventure

[Zonlover]

So, for this Christmas I got a chicken coop and permission from my parents to get chickens. It was totally unexpected(I thought I wouldn't be able to own chickens again until I had my own house), and I admit, there were tears of joy. Yes, I like chickens that much. This week we will set up the coop, and when it's warm enough we'll get some chickens. This is the thread where I will record progress and updates.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Awesome!!! I'd love to have chicken one day. It's great you can have them again I look forward to learning about your adventures with your chickens when you get them.

I once saw on a vet show, someone who had their chickens brought in and all the chickens had names like Cher, Beyonce, JLo ect.. because they were all little divas I thought that's too cute. If I ever get chickens I'm totally stealing that idea

 

[Zonlover]

@AussieBird @BirdWorld

 

[BirdWorld]

Wow, congratulations Rebecca! That’s so great!

 

[AussieBird]

So excited for you!
looks like you'll have birds soon enough!

 

[Sparkles99]

That's wonderful news! What kind of chickens are you considering?

 

[ParrotNuts]

Oops, looks like I'm too happy
Anyways, enjoy your chickens Rebecca!!!

 

[Zonlover]

That's wonderful news! What kind of chickens are you considering?

Possibly black australorps, buff Orpingtons, barred rocks, red sex-links, welsummers, or Easter Eggers. Probably not all of them, cause I won't have that many chickens, but those are all my favorites.

 

[camelotshadow]

Exciting
black australorps are stunning & prolific egg layers

Murray McMurray Hatchery - Black Australorp

Black Australorps are one of the best heavy breeds of chickens. These large chickens have glossy black feathers with a greenish-purple sheen and large red combs.

www.mcmurrayhatchery.com

Some even lay blue eggs. I'd be tempted by blue eggs.

Murray McMurray Hatchery - Whiting True Blue™

Whiting True Blues are a relatively new chicken breed developed to lay a consistently blue egg. This breed is heat tolerant, has a good disposition and comes in a variety of feather colors and patterns.

www.mcmurrayhatchery.com

 

[Zonlover]

Ahem. Sooooo. Remember when I said this:

This week we will set up the coop

That was a couple months ago. I have started the putting together the coop...... today.
But anyways, we should have chickens by the end of March.

 

[DesertBird]

Ahem. Sooooo. Remember when I said this:

That was a couple months ago. I have started the putting together the coop...... today.
But anyways, we should have chickens by the end of March.

Cool! Chickens are great. Do you know what breeds you're going to get?

 

[Zonlover]

Cool! Chickens are great. Do you know what breeds you're going to get?

Not sure yet, but Black australorps, buff Orpingtons, and RSL are on my list of possibilities.

 

[DesertBird]

Not sure yet, but Black australorps, buff Orpingtons, and RSL are on my list of possibilities.

Australorps are really great. I have a 5 year old BA named Rocky. She adopted some chicks last year and raised them. She was an excellent mom. She still lays eggs too, even though she's fairly old.

 

[fashionfobie]

Not sure yet, but Black australorps, buff Orpingtons, and RSL are on my list of possibilities.

Make sure you know the zoning in your area. If they have limits on roos, it might be a good idea to go with sexlinks the -RSL

I found this online, on omlet, but it might be worth searching your council's regulations.

Virginia
If you plan keeping chickens in Virginia, bear in mind the following local laws and ordinances for all Virginia chicken keepers:

Cities and Counties in Virginia that Allow the Keeping of Chickens

• Alexandria – No limit on numbers.
• Arlington – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Ashburn – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Blacksburg – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Botetourt County – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Charlottesville – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed, permit required.
• Cheasapeake – No limit on numbers.
• Dayton – No limit on numbers.
• Falls Church – Maximum seven ‘companion’ animals (chickens and others) in total.
• Glen Allen – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Henrico County – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Herndon – Maximum one hen.
• Loudoun County – No limit on numbers, permit required.
• Lynchburg – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Norfolk – No limit on number, permit required.
• Oakton – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Petersburg – Maximum 20, roosters allowed.
• Reston – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Richmond – Maximum 4 hens, no roosters.
• Roanoke County – Maximum 6 hens.
• Roanoke – 10 hens on plots under 20,000 sq ft (40 in agricultural zones), roosters allowed.
• Spotsylvania – No limit on numbers.
• Troutville – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Vinton – Maximum 6 hens, permit required.
• Virginia Beach – No limit on numbers.
• Warrenton – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.

 

[Zonlover]

Make sure you know the zoning in your area. If they have limits on roos, it might be a good idea to go with sexlinks the -RSL

I found this online, on omlet, but it might be worth searching your council's regulations.

Virginia
If you plan keeping chickens in Virginia, bear in mind the following local laws and ordinances for all Virginia chicken keepers:

Cities and Counties in Virginia that Allow the Keeping of Chickens

• Alexandria – No limit on numbers.
• Arlington – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Ashburn – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Blacksburg – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Botetourt County – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Charlottesville – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed, permit required.
• Cheasapeake – No limit on numbers.
• Dayton – No limit on numbers.
• Falls Church – Maximum seven ‘companion’ animals (chickens and others) in total.
• Glen Allen – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Henrico County – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Herndon – Maximum one hen.
• Loudoun County – No limit on numbers, permit required.
• Lynchburg – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Norfolk – No limit on number, permit required.
• Oakton – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Petersburg – Maximum 20, roosters allowed.
• Reston – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Richmond – Maximum 4 hens, no roosters.
• Roanoke County – Maximum 6 hens.
• Roanoke – 10 hens on plots under 20,000 sq ft (40 in agricultural zones), roosters allowed.
• Spotsylvania – No limit on numbers.
• Troutville – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.
• Vinton – Maximum 6 hens, permit required.
• Virginia Beach – No limit on numbers.
• Warrenton – No limit on numbers, roosters allowed.

Huh, I'm not on that list. We are definitely allowed to have chickens, though. We do live in a rather small, not well known place, so that might be why we're not on the list?

 

[fashionfobie]

Huh, I'm not on that list. We are definitely allowed to have chickens, though. We do live in a rather small, not well known place, so that might be why we're not on the list?

No worries, I wouldn't say that list is a trustworthy one. It is more of an example on how widely different zoning is even in the same state. I would ensure that you look up / or call your council and just know you are ticking all the boxes

 

[Zonlover]

We're probably gonnna be getting 2-3 Buff Orpington hens soon!

 

[BirdWorld]

We're probably gonnna be getting 2-3 Buff Orpington hens soon!

Yay!!!

 

[Zonlover]

We brought them home about 1.5 hours ago. Three fluffy, adorable, slightly-stressed-out-from-the-car-ride, 11 month old, and did I mention fluffy, Buff orpington hens. We got them from a friend of ours. They are all a little roughed up from their rooster, but they are mostly healed(they just have to grow feathers back). For now, until I name them, I will refer to them as #1(the biggest), #3(the smallest), and #2(in the middle).

I can already tell #1 is the boldest. She was the first to venture into the coop(I put them in the run first). She has the least(barely any) missing feathers on her back.
#3 has the most missing feathers, so I already have a soft spot for her.
#2 is kind of in the middle, I don't have any opinions about her yet.

Also, I know that people will say that the coop is too small, and I don't disagree with them. However, they will be free ranged all day every day.

And finally...... PICTURES!!!

 

[AussieBird]

Yayyyy! Your officialy a bird owner!
Also gotta say it, every time i visit this thread my phone chokes on Atharv's post!