Brand New to Chickens with a large learning curve.

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nuthatched said:
Not many people here call themselves chicken "parents". I, personaly, am a chicken keeper.
Some tips:
Don't buy a prefab coop.
Feed Flock Raiser or Chick feed, oyster shell on the side. Layer can be protein deficient for some higher production breeds.
Treats, (anything that's not chicken feed) should be less than 10% of daily diet.
Good treats (in moderation) veggies, fruits, cheese, mealworms, unprocessed meats, yogurt, most scraps. Avoid onions, fatty or salty foods.
A chicken eats approximately 4oz a day.
Chickens are omnivores and quite predatory, they will eat mice, lizards, snakes, small birds and eggs.
Diatomaceous Earth is not effective for bugs and is harmful to breathe for you and your birds.
If putting anything in the water (acv, garlic, vitamins) don't supplement longer than 10 days and always provide plain water alongside.
Know your predators and secure the best you can against them.
Chicken wire isn't predator proof at all.
At least 4 sq feet per bird in the coop, 10 sq per bird in the run, 1 foot per bird for the roosts and 1 next box per three hens.
You will loose 1 or 2 despite your best efforts, learn for the rest you still have and take care of them.
Don't carry torches for dead birds.
Learn basic treatment for illness and injury, (the articles section is great for that) as most vets won't see chickens, might not know about poultry or will charge you an arm and a leg for something simple.
Be or have someone willing and able to put down a bird if necessary. Some things can't be healed.
Good luck.
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Thank you so much for all of this information. It's greatly appreciated. Plus it confirms that I'm at least on the right track. Thanks again.
 
WELCOME!
Welcome to the community!
BYC is a great place; full of information, helpful members, and fun!
If you ever need any help navigating around here or you just wanna chat, drop me a PM or a message on my profile! And if you need any advice, come find me here
:welcome
 
Glad to meet you, Joan. You were so wise to start researching and learning early. But I don't know anybody who thinks they have finished learning everything about chickens. It's part of the fun. You have been given a nice chunk of advice, and reading articles and forum conversations on here is very worthwhile. Good for you! Best wishes with your flock! It's like starting on a roller coaster. Once you start, there's no stopping, and it's breathtaking, scary and a heck ton of fun.
 

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