Welcome to BYC! -- Includes basic instructions on how to navigate the site

Terms of Service (Rules)

General Forum FAQs


Q: Help - Trouble Logging In or Changing Your Forum Password or Email

A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/624017/byc-newsletter-re-registration-email-blast/0_50

Q: What is the BYC Rule Warning / Infraction System?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=524146
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/warning-types-for-the-infractions-system

Q: How Do I Add An Avatar (picture) To My Profile?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-do-i-add-change-my-avatar

Q: How do I post pictures on the forum? On my BYC page?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/inserting-pics-in-on-the-new-byc

Q: How do I use the Buy/Sell/Trade (Auction)?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/buy-sell-trade-bst-faqs

Q: What Are Golden Feather Members? What are Platinum members?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/byc-memberships-help-support-backyardchickens

Q: How do I search the BYC Site and forum? (VERY Important for new members!) (You will get much better results using the "advanced" choice located right under the "search" box.) The new "search" requires a bit more information than on the old message board.
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/search-and-advanced-search-tutorial

Q: What are user Titles and how / when do they change?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/190919/forum-user-titles-what-are-they-and-how-when-are-they-changed

Q: How do I create a page / add information to the BYC Site?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/article-tutorial

Q: How do I subscribe?
  • To Topics and Forums: At the top and bottom of a thread or forum (right under the title) will be a row of links. One will say "Subscribe." Click that; you will be given a choice of how often you'd like to receive updates. Choose and hit "Submit." If you are posting in a thread, at the bottom of the reply box there is a choice to receive updates when others reply. Choose your frequency before posting and then submit your post.
  • To members: Known as "Following," you can receive email updates whenever a member is active on the forum. To follow a member, hover your pointer over their username in a post and click "Follow Member." Or, you can go directly to their profile to do so. Under their avatar you'll see the "Follow Member" link. As with topics and forums, you can choose the frequency of your updates.

Q:What is the History of BYC?:
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/9631/backyardchickens-com-history-byc-com-ezboardbyc-new-byc-forum

Q: How do I sign up for the BYC newsletter?
A: Go to your profile and click "Edit Account Details." Scroll down to "Email Preferences" (after "Password"). Check the box next to where it says "Receive BackYard Chickens Email Newsletter."

Q: How do I submit a pic of the week (POW)?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/618538/submit-your-chicken-page-for-the-picture-of-the-week-pow

Q: How do I become a moderator?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/13536/how-do-you-become-a-moderator



General Chicken Questions


Q:How much space do I need per chicken (in coop, in run, total)?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18442
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15096
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=34001

Q: How many square feet do I need per chicken?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2132

Chicken / Abbreviation Dictionary / BYC Terms:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...of-common-terms-for-raising-backyard-chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1638#p1638
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=241913

Q: What is this lump on the side of my chicken's neck? (Full crop)
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/58809/large-soft-lump-on-all-my-chickens-neck-at-the-bottom- right


Q: How much should I charge for eggs?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/448371/how-much-to-charge-for-eggs/0_50

Q: Where do I get / buy egg cartons?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/410004/egg-cartons
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/304766/where-to-buy-cartons-that-fit-jumbo-coturnix-eggs

Q. What is the Deep Litter Method?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/deep-litter-method-the-easiest-way-to-deal-with-chicken-litter-dlm

Q. How do I find out if it is legal to keep chickens where I live?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/3/Laws
If you live in the USA, then you can find your towns laws online at www.municode.com
If you live in the UK, then ring up Environmental Health. Normally there aren't any hard and fast rules, apart from no cockerels.

Q: When or how do I free range my chickens?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/562244/what-age-can-chickens-free-range/0_50
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/402848/what-are-the-ups-and-downs-to-free-ranging/0_50

Q: What is DE, how is it used and is it safe for my chickens?
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/food-grade-de-diatomaceous-earth
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3688
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=705
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3800

Q: What is grit and when to I give it to my chickens?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/feed-chart
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8833
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8907
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9465
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9052

Q: What is Oyster Shell used for and when do I give it to my hens?
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9109
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9927
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3808

Q: What is scratch? How and when do I give it to my chickens?
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8545
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8503
A:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8704

What incubator should I get:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15091
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/542516/best-incubator/0_50Learning
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=32402&p=1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=31806&p=1

How to build an incubator
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19675
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=21547
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8510
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19496

Chicken first-aid kit
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33871
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3054
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=454
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/517234/medical-treatments-recommended-by-bycers#post_6580204
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/first-aid-kit-for-chickens

Why can't I peel my hardboiled eggs, and what do I do about it?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24428
"newer" thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/115799/crazy-easy-way-to-make-hard-boiled-eggs


Prolapse:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=32448
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26390&p=1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20555

Egg bound
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=32648&p=1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22308

Chick raising care sheet:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=409847#p409847
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/624383/heat-in-broody-method/0_50#post_8323694

how to tell if an egg is fertile/Infertile
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

My chickens are pecking/eating each other's feathers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=34705
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=31291
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=36139
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=30486

Sour Crop
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/614951/help-me-with-sour-crop-please/0_50

Helping chicks out of shell/ when to intervene:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316

Q. How do I get chickens ready for Fall Winter and Cold Weather?
A. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/392510/first-winter-with-chickens/0_50


Q: Where can I go to ask a "how to" question if it's not listed here?
A: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/623247/byc-ask-us/0_50#post_8304291






To add to this list, please reply to this thread with a general FAQ and Answer / Link in the same format as above:
Q: General Question Here
A: Link to thread with answers here

NOTE: In an effort to keep this post / thread clean we'll delete off topic replies and maybe other replies once the FAQ is added to this main post.

Special Staff THANK YOU to seminolewind and Lothiriel for their hard work in updating and freshening our FAQ information!