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Glad to meet you, and welcome to BYC. Best wishes to Apollo and all his ladies!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. All articles are short, have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments.

1. Intro to chicken keeping

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to chicken health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. Introducing your dog to chickens

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
 
MinicaFarmington said:
Hi everyone! I am on here reading all the time so I figured I’d sign up.

I have 10 chicks right now. They’re around 5 weeks old, give or take. 5 Rhode Island’s and 5 Barred Rocks. All but one are female. Our male is a RIR named Apollo and I’m sure he will be a royal PITA, but we’ll see what happens. 😆

This is our 2nd flock, same breeds…first roo. I’ve learned a lot, but I’m still pretty new to the whole thing.

We also have a 4 year old malinois and a bearded dragon. We love critters around here! Lol

I’m a typical homeschooling, gardening, chicken raising, dirty hippie, mountain person, mom. Take that fwiw. 🙂

Look forward to engaging with everyone. ♡︎
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welcome! I just joined as well, been long time lurker

imo those RIR are so crotchety! they're amazing birds but the attitude on ours, named Baby, well- she's a real B! in my experience with roos, handle em a lot, give treats and treat em well and get in their space and they won't attack ya. The mean ones Ive had all came mean or got scared from defending an attack or felt threatened by my kid (size wise)
Ive had some wildly valiant, amazing roos that I was terrible sore to lose. One was big black boy names King and he was born and raised with me, got run off by dad and would sleep on the back of one of my sheep at night! When dad got taken out defending the girls from a hawk, he stepped up and finally made his first crow! He was always a love, and very dedicated. May all your roos be kind to you and protective of their flock!
 
Boppo said:
Glad to meet you, and welcome to BYC. Best wishes to Apollo and all his ladies!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. All articles are short, have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments.

1. Intro to chicken keeping

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to chicken health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. Introducing your dog to chickens

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
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oh and I LOVE the name Apollo- I have an Amerecauna Roo names Zuko!
 

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