2 months to learn all I need to know about chickens!

[HopeSprings]

I'm new here. Just ordered 16 chicks, 2 each of 8 varieties, to be delivered the week of my birthday, April 8! All will be females, tho they are including an extra unsexed freebie. So I'm reading as much as I can to make sure my chick nursery and coop will be "perfect"!
I'm fortunate to have 7 acres, a big vegetable garden (which just today provided broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, celery and carrots for a Superbowl party) and a Plott hound (NC state dog) who doesn't even notice free-range chickens. We do have coyotes, raccoons and bears here so I'm particularly keen on making a secure run, tho do plan to let them free-range during the day, like my neighbors'.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!

 

[KLIL]

Hello from down under Australia and welcome to BYC!
You are going to love it here.

Feel free to pop by and share your daily updates for 2019 too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/flock-life-journeys-2019.1286370/

Lovely to meet you and hope to speak more.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Welcome to our eggcelent flock here at BYC!

 

[diamondsilkies]

Welcome to BYC! So glad you decided to join us (both on the website and in chicken keeping). Feel free to ask us any specific questions you may have! Sounds like you have a great property for them.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Define your goals, study the forums, plan and you will be successful in establishing your flock - we will be here to help if needed.

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! If you like your veggie garden, those free-ranging chicken's will like it too. I hope that you will have a way to keep them out of your garden until after your harvest.

 

[cmom]

Congratulation on your order of chicks. Planning ahead and providing good security is a must to keep a good and healthy flock. Beware that eventually you could loose a bird free ranging to a multitude of predators and most chicken owners will loose some birds at one time or another. Good luck and have fun...

 

[robson1015]

I'm new here. Just ordered 16 chicks, 2 each of 8 varieties, to be delivered the week of my birthday, April 8! All will be females, tho they are including an extra unsexed freebie. So I'm reading as much as I can to make sure my chick nursery and coop will be "perfect"!
I'm fortunate to have 7 acres, a big vegetable garden (which just today provided broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, celery and carrots for a Superbowl party) and a Plott hound (NC state dog) who doesn't even notice free-range chickens. We do have coyotes, raccoons and bears here so I'm particularly keen on making a secure run, tho do plan to let them free-range during the day, like my neighbors'.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!

Welcome to the addiction !! What part of the world are you in ??

 

[Kullas]

Welcome to BYC. Congrats on your first chicks.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - great that you have joined us.

These links may be interesting
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/hatching-eggs-raising-chickens.22/

Any questions that you may have regarding your chicks will be best posted here - http://www.backyardchickens.com/f/11/raising-baby-chicks

More generally,
Here are some links to key resources:

• List of guides on how to use the site - announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3
• Great resource for beginners = https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/learning-center.11/
• Good starting point for browsing the site - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/
• Interesting feedback on how members manage their flocks -https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archives
• Excellent source of local information - Find your State's thread.

Best wishes

Pork Pie