Greetings from NH!

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us!

 

[wolftracks]

from California!

You're going to love BYC. There are so many ideas for coops on here and you can use different ones to make just what you want. Remember to always build bigger or when chicken math kicks in, you'll be trying to figure out ways to expand the room. More space is always better than not enough. And take pics! You can then share them here or maybe even use them for one of the coop contests. Whatever you do, have fun. If you're trying to really get the chicks envolved the recommendation for 4H or another group is a good one. If the kids are small, bantam breeds are usually the easiest. There are a lot of breeders on her, so make sure you check them out if you decide to add to your flock and if the kids are going ot be showing, they'll need better quality birds to show. Other than that, just helping to care for then and play with them is envolvement and then there's hatching, which can also add to that chicken math!

 

[chickenpooplady]

from Highland County Ohio!!!

 

[Sk8inChick(en)]

Check out the coops page for ideas on building. I personally reccomend the Garden Coop, it is a wonderful design. You can check it out at http://www.thegardencoop.com/

PS: I didn't write the plans for this coop, nor do I know the people who did. I just like the design.

 

[DownwardDog]

Greetings from Kansas DownwardDog, and !  Great to have you here!  Have you checked out he Coops section (brown tab at the top)?  So many great ideas!  Best of luck to you and Happy New Year!

 

Thanks, and yes, I'm checking out that section now

 

[DownwardDog]

Hey I am also new to backyard chickens and have a flock of my own that I just got at the local tractor supply store last march.  The biggest problem I had when I first got mine  (especially the bantams) is called pasting.  When you first get the chicks check their bottoms for accumulated manure and wipe them off with a semi warm wet rag.  Also the only good sign that I remember to tell the difference between roosters and hens (when they are babies)  is their size. The roosters are usually bigger as was the case with mine.  If you are planning in getting good brown egg laying chickens i would recomend production reds or if you want the most efficient at converting feed to eggs get the pearl white leghorns.  I have production reds, americaunas, and some bantams and am very happy with the prduction reds. Other breeds I don't have experience with raising them.  

P.S.  If you don't wipe the manure off when they're babies they can die from not being able to poop. 

. I have read about it, so thanks for the reminder!

 

[liz9910]