BYC Stats Update And Popularity Of Chicken Discussion

[Nifty-Chicken]

Hey Everyone!

I haven't done this in a while so I thought I'd post an update on the BYC stats. We usually see a significant slow down during this time of year, but we're still going strong. Here are the current stats (based on the average PER day over the past 30 days):

New Topics: 267.9 per/day
New Members: 43.1 per/day
New Posts: 3,305.7 per/day (that is 2.3 posts every minute of every hour of every day!)

So, the discussion:

Co-workers at my day job can't believe there are so many people that are so excited about raising chickens. This got me to thinking:

• Do you think this growth, especially in new members is going to continue?

• If so, do you think at the same rate? For how long?

• Do you think chicken raising is just a fad? If so, do you think we are at the beginning, middle or end?

• Any other thoughts on BYC's constant growth?




BTW, a HUGEMONGUS part of the reason for BYC's growth is, well, because of YOU! So keep up the good work posting, getting your friends addicted to chickens, and creating pages that can be added to the BYC site

 

[kstaven]

Considering the mistrust that is building for the food system I would think we are just beginning to see the trend emerge.

 

[krjwaj]

Do you think this growth, especially in new members is going to continue?
I think it will grow as more people start to research and raise back yard chicken-ing.

• If so, do you think at the same rate? For how long?
I haven't been on board but for a few months so I can not say. I do think it will increase however.

• Do you think chicken raising is just a fad? If so, do you think we are at the beginning, middle or end?
I'd say the middle. There are 15, 000 or so now , with new members joining daily, and increase in interest means a future for sure.

• Any other thoughts on BYC's constant growth?
I think more members are talking up and sharing their positive experiences with chicks, sponsors, members, other animals. It must be a well-run forum w' supportive members or else why would members stay active.

****I would like to know if the 15k is an active number or just registered users. A local forum that I am a member of 'prunes' inactive members (after 30 days of no activity) to provide an accurate headcount.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Yes, the number includes 'inactive' some of whom are gone, but some just lurk, they don't like to post - that's true all over the internet! I think that forum pruning at 30 days of inactivity is a bit extreme, I'd give them six months and then kill them - then again, I don't control that here on BYC.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Yes, the number includes 'inactive' some of whom are gone, but some just lurk, they don't like to post - that's true all over the internet! I think that forum pruning at 30 days of inactivity is a bit extreme, I'd give them six months and then kill them - then again, I don't control that here on BYC.

No one gets KILLED around here, every member counts.

of the 15000 members just over 3000 are above the JUST HATCHED title(meaning they have posted more than 25 times.
There are almost 5000 that registered and never posted

some of those in the just hatched range will continue to post, but there are lots that posted 2 or 3 times months ago, got thier answer then disappeared into the gone or not posting status.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Don't forget those who join and use the chat room. Or lurk and use PM's to get their questions answered. Number of posts can be off when you consider these options.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
That was what the NON posting status would coome in, I dont think you fall into that catagory though.

Looks like your making up for those that dont post.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Nifty, I think the key to growth of BYC is publicity in the general public realm. The more times Martha Stewart Living has photos of her chickens & eggs (for example), and the more "locavore" / whole-food articles are published in national or regional publications, the more times an idea is planted in the general public's minds - the idea of having your own chickens being reasonable and doable.


And of course, once an idea is planted, the next thing people do is hit Google. And that's where BYC comes in.

I think it's still in growth mode. But we still need a national pet-chicken team of publicists, and some papparazzi to follow some good looking chickens around... (Maybe we can send SpeckledHen and Suede to Hollywood for a while.)

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Good ideas and points everyone! It has only been 21 months since we really started gathering deep data on stats, new members, etc. and I'm personally very curious to see how things go over the next year.

Regarding "culling" old members or people who joined and never posted. I made a clear decision early on not to cull members. There have been a handful of times where one of these members received a newsletter and decided to post because of a fun contest or an interesting thread. In my mind, it is better to leave the door open for even just one of these people than to have an "accurate active member" count.

 

[Renee]

Thanks, Nifty, for not culling me. Some of us have seasonal work, and we are not really "gone". Many of us are not experienced enough to answer questions.

I believe the chicken fad is in the middle, but I also believe the middle could last for quite some time, depending upon the economy, the price of oil and the sudden fashionability of environmental or "green" issues, and finally, depending on how word-of-mouth spreads info about the ease of keeping chickens. I thought you had to keep a rooster to get eggs until just a few years ago!

I have to say that what drew me to this site was a search for coop designs. I still enjoy looking at the coop page, and I love the way all of the coops are on a single page, so that you don't have to search around to see a few designs that suit your purposes. As more people begin to purchase chickens, their main investment is going to be the coop, especially in suburban and urban areas where building materials might have to be purchased at retail. The coop page told me I could afford it and I could build it. I think improving the coop page by adding even more images of coops would make the site even more popular.

The vast amount of collective knowledge here is another draw. I can look at a university web site to get the cold hard facts, but here, I can read about what people actually do in circumstances similar to my own.

Finally, the tone of the site is such a welcome respite from the downright meanness on so many sites. I appreciate it more than I can say.
Renee