Chicken feed question! Help!!

[misspoppins]

I'm getting my first ever chickens next month! I'm really excited and a bit scared too.

I have alot of questions esspecailly about chicken feed:
-Where do you get it?
-What do you feed them when they first come/what is chick starter?
-What do you feed them when they're grown/when do you switch from chick starter to adult chicken food?

And a few other general chicken raising questions:
-When exactly can I put them outside and leave them there?
-Is it really common to loose any/what can I do to prevent death loss?

We have two dogs and a cat, and I'm pretty sure we'll be completely gating the chicken area of our backyard for that reason. Exactly how much room will my chickens need?

I'd really appreciate anyone who can help me by answering these questions. Also if you have ANY advice for a first timer, PLEASE share it

Thanks!!

 

[willowcol]

and Hi. I would try reading the articles in the learning center links. They have alot of great info in there.

 

[congdon476]

First of all

Most everything you need to answer your questions can be found here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html

The learning center on the BYC board. Also - in looking around past message postings you can find lots of "extras" that you didn't even know you had questions for! Be careful: THIS CAN BE VERY ADDICTIVE!

Happy chicken-raising and we'll look forward to seeing you around!

 

[Teach97]

feed stores carry feed (those places with lots of trucks and guys in overalls) Tractor Supply stores are common

Starter feed is medicated to help with diseases that attack the little guys it also has more protein for growing bodies...the bags give you recomendations on when and how to switch typically as most brands of feeds are formulated a little different

feed all sorts of stuff to older birds depending on your budget and what you want them to do...layer crumbles, scratch

You can move them out when they are feathered out and there is lots of advice around here to tell you how to exactly go about that...again lots of ideas on it

Yup...some will die

They claim like a couple square feet per chicken but most folks have lots more than that...just build it bigger than what you expect because you will get the chicken addiction bug and then you will turn around and have more birds than brains

Welcome!

 

[misspoppins]

Thanks for the links!

*goes to read articles*