Welcome to the forum!
Glad you joined us!
Is it safe to rely on everything you've read? No. You need a reliable source. Just because you read something on the internet, in those magazines like Countryside, Mother Earth News, and Backyard Poultry, or in books does not make it reliable. The information you get off this forum is not necessarily reliable. Some of it is downright wrong. It's not that people are mean, cruel, and malicious. They either read wrong information from someone else, misinterpret what they read, or forget that there is an "if" or a "might" that goes along with that. Just because something could possibly happen does not mean that it absolutely will each and every time.
Chickens are really adaptable. As long as you provide the basics of feed, water, and shelter, they will normally do really well. You will get a whole lot of different opinions on what is required for each of these, partly because so many different things work and partly because of personal preference.
We all keep chickens in different circumstances for different reasons. What works for me might not work for you. You need to sort out the information and see what applies to your situation. If someone is raising chickens to try to win a grand prize at a show, then they will manage them differently than I do. If you have a small suburban back yard where they have to stay confined, you need to do things differently than I do in the country.
Where can you find reliable information. I suggest you go to a few hatchery websites and read what they say about taking care of the chicks. The hatcheries are professionals and they want you to have success with your chicks. I suggest looking at the Learning Center at the top of this page. It has a lot of good information in it, but remember to match it to your specific situation. Read the different threads and articles on this site, but filter them for your circumstances. Do not be afraid to start your own thread and post questions.
Keeping chickens does not have to be hard. Their diet does not have to be nearly as complicated as some people like to make it. They do need water. That is really important. They need shelter from the environment but again, that does not have to be really complicated. They don't care what it looks like. Cute and color coordinated is for us, not them. Keep them dry, block direct breezes from blowing on them, and provide enough ventilation so they can breathe good air and they will be happy, even ecstatic. They need protection from predators. What kind off protection depends on where you live and how you manage them. And one of my personal preference type of things. You can get by with a lot of different set-ups as far as space, but I find that the more space I give them, the less hard I have to work.
Good luck and again
to the adventure.
