And so it begins

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Hello:frow
Welcome to BYC!!
So glad to have you here!!
Thanks for sharing your story!!
You have come to the right place.
There are many people on here that are ready to help in anyway they can!
The learning center also has alot of great information on it as well!
Enjoy!:wee​
 
G’Day from down under CluckersCapriccio :frow Welcome!

This article may help you decide on a breed which, in turn, will determine where you get your chicks [availability]: Pickin a Chicken

You might be interested in downloading this free e-book My First Year With Chickens

I do hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

You may want to also Find Your State Thread and pop in and say hello.

BYC has Topic of the Week articles which I have found to be a great resource and a one stop shop for questions which may have already been discussed within the BYC membership group. These three might be of particular interest to you:
Topic of the Week - Getting Started, Keeping Chickens
Topic of the Week - Raising Chicks
Topic of the Week - Raising People Friendly Poultry

If you would like to share Pictures and Stories of your flock when they arrive, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out ;)
 
:frowHi there! Welcome to BYC. Winter is a great time for research and planning. It's also a great time to get started on your coop because they outgrow the brooder in no time!
I had a similar story of fulfilling a lifelong dream of chicken ownership.
It really depends on your future plans.
My chicken path was for pet chickens who gifted us with eggs. I wasn't going into it to build a huge flock, or breed them.
I purchased my chicks from a small independent feed/garden store in my town the morning they were delivered, from the McMurray hatchery.
I've been very happy with them. They've been very healthy and we adore their distinct personalities.
Best wishes on your journey.
 
Welcome. You've received a lot of advice already. I'll try not to repeat!

Check out Henderson's chicken breeds chart. That will help you to choose your birds. If you want birds who will lay for a long time and not be as likely to succumb to reproductive issues, buy dual purpose birds, and avoid the hatchery sex links and production birds.

Get your coop built before you get your chicks. They double their size every week! And if you have your coop built with an electric outlet available, you can brood your chicks right in the coop with a Mama Heating Pad set up. @Blooie has an article and thread dedicated to heating pad brooding which is MUCH safer and more natural than using a heat lamp.

Make your coop and run big enough. Minimum recommendation is 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run per bird. make your coop predator proof. This means 1/2" hardware cloth covering all openings. Make it well ventilated: minimum recommendation is 1 s.f. per bird, or equal to 10% of the open floor space. Vents must be above perch height, and perches must be above nest height. Perches also must be at least 12" above back wall, minimum of 10 inches per bird, at least 18" below ceiling, and have plenty of room in front of them for the birds to fly down from them. Nest boxes: at least 12' x 12' x 12' with a 4" lip and a landing perch in front of them if they are not floor level, and one per 4 birds. Bedding: plan on the coop being deep enough for at least 4" of bedding on the floor. Something to think about if you do consider buying a pre fab. I've been assessing prefab coops for years, and have not yet seen one that is adequate to meet the needs of the flock owner or the birds. Natural lighting: birds LOVE to look out windows, and some birds avoid going into a dark coop at the end of the day.

Hopefully, having this information will help you avoid making a purchase that you may regret.
 
CluckersCapriccio said:
My husband just finished building me a brooder and I have most of the supplies needed to start doing something I have always wanted to do. Now it's time to look into getting my chicks. We live in the Pacific Northwest above Seattle and there are several feed stores that will sell chicks but someone told me ordering online is a good way to go. Guidance is always welcome.
Click to expand...
Hello Bothell! I just moved from Seattle back to the East Coast after being in the PNW for a decade or so. so glad you are getting chicks! Since these are your first chicks I would just get them from the store. (And get a few different kinds so you can get an idea of what type of production chicks you like). They will already have experienced the rigors of postal shipping (and lived), are already eating, drinking, etc. Mine often seem to get pasty butt their first week of life and for me, the store chicks are a bit older and have often passed pasty butt stage. (Pasty butt is when chick poop collects around or on the vent/butt hole that must be carefully removed several times a day so that they can continue to poop... Sort of a pain in the butt no pun intended).

Anyway, your life with chickens will be long and much larger than you probably expect so these are your starter chicks- might as well go with something easy to get for now.... As you will undoubtedly be looking for additional flock mates within a few months of getting your first chicks! At that point you will probably have a better idea of what you like and don't like and can order additional new chicks accordingly.

You prob won't be disappointed either way- so good luck!
 

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