Good Evening

[mrsjshow83]

(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens? Very new to chickens just got 1 3days ago

(2) How many chickens do you have right now? 1

(3) What breeds do you have? No clue

(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens? We’re super excited about this

(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
Hiking, swimming, camping

(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share. Married 3kids no other pets had one just cross the rainbow bridge in Jan

(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community? Trying to locate a chic identifying app came across this and I like it

 

[sourland]

Good evening, and welcome to the BYC community.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Post a picture of your chick and we'll try to tell you what breed you have. You will need to get at least 2 more chicks for it as they are flock animals and do not do well without others of their own kind.

 

[RisingPhoenixFarms]

Welcome. Submit a photo and I'm sure someone can tell you what breed you have. I'm terrible at identifying anything that i don't have personally but there are a lot of really knowledgeable people here.

 

[Tookie]

Welcome! Nice to meet you!

 

[Jenbirdee]

(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens? Very new to chickens just got 1 3days ago

(2) How many chickens do you have right now? 1

(3) What breeds do you have? No clue

(4) What are your favorite aspects of raising backyard chickens? We’re super excited about this

(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
Hiking, swimming, camping

(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share. Married 3kids no other pets had one just cross the rainbow bridge in Jan

(7) Bonus: How did you find BYC, how long have you known about BYC, and what made you finally join our awesome community? Trying to locate a chic identifying app came across this and I like it

Welcome!! Oh what’s fun and happy day - a sweet little chicken came your way! Nice to meet you

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

You have definitely come to the right place for all the fun and learning! Good luck with your chick, if you have any questions about anything along the way, be sure to ask.

Welcome to our community!

 

[Kenneth Zweerink]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska!

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC! How did you come to have just one chicken?

 

[Boppo]

Glad to meet you, and welcome to BYC. If you have only one chicken, it's probably lonely. 3 is usually a good minimum number for a small flock, but we all are fans of more is better. chickens are flock animals and unless they are quite elderly or injured, they do much better with a group of their fellows.

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. I hope you will find them helpful as well. All articles are short, have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments.

1. Intro to chicken keeping

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to chicken health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. Gardening for chickens

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures

8. Chicken breeds - different characteristics in a handy table (in case you want a mixed flock!)

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.