*GULP* got "voulen-told" to give a talk need some 2 cents....

[leree1019]

I hope this is an okay post to put up here...Long story short my husbands family owns a feed store (small, very small but old) they want to do the Purina chick days thing and my hubster volunteered me to come in and talk about my 1st year with the ladies ( chickens )

. I feel okay about it generally speaking but I am not really sure what topics to include. I got my first chickens last spring and have been doing pretty well, I am a believer that everyone should be able to have a small backyard flock if they want. I don't want to be to preachy about it though. I just want to be approachable and make chicken ownership less scary for any newcomers. Any tips or topic ideas that you guys would like to have known when you first got going?
Also is it okay to let everyone know about this site when i give my talk? I look through the topics quite a bit and they have helped my tremendously! Thanks in advance!

 

[HorizonSon]

 

[kathyinmo]

That's a great idea, to suggest BYC as a source for new owners. I think that is how many of us started here. There is absolutely tons of great information here.

In your talk, I think I would keep it simple, but include the following:
feed recommendations (Purina probably has literature available for that)
less than 10% of diet to be "scratch," which is like candy to their chickens
water .... important to have clean fresh water daily, with clean containers
housing .... suggest at least 4 sq ft per bird inside and 10 sq ft outside

 

[gryeyes]

Mention that chickens are good for more than just eggs! They eat bugs, they provide great fertilizer, and they HAVE PERSONALITIES!

And, of course, the thing that always makes us laugh: You don't need roosters to get eggs.

 

[geebs]

super cool beans... Talk about egg color and parasite control... that is very useful to newbies... odor control etc...

 

[annaraven]

Add in a story or two about the chicken personalities - many people think of chickens as stupid and don't realize how funny and personable they are.

Have fun!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Were it me, i would give a brief overview of my history and feelings about chickens, basic care, then ask the crowd if they have questions, what they want to know about. Maybe ask how many people have chickens. i think once you get people started talking, it will flow from there.

 

[crosbygroup]

How long is the talk? Can you bring a white board or at least a poster board? I would list an agenda about what I was covering on the poster board with the BYC web site address listed. It will make you feel more comfortable, if you get side tracked you can look at it and see what you were going to cover and it will also be informative for the people listening.

 

[DianeS]

If it were me, I'd make it VERY simple (and advertise that its for beginners or people thinking of starting).

--I'd start with "why do you want chickens?" and cover egg-laying vs meaties vs dual-purpose. (Plus bug-eating, manure for compost, etc) Ideally with pictures of some of the different kinds of each.
--For egg-laying and dual purpose, I'd then discuss the pros and cons of getting day old chicks (and where to get them) vs older pullets (and where to get those).
--Then basic care - the things you need before you start. For day-olds, the brooder, the starter feed, heat lamps, etc. (And the joys of baby chickens.) For older pullets, the coop, the grower or layer feed, grit, oyster shell, bedding for the coop, waterer, feeder, etc.
--Common problems - smelly run, diseases, soft-shelled eggs, cost of vet care, algae in the water, moldy food, etc. Along with how to avoid those.
--And the fun stuff - chicken toys like hanging a head of cabbage, giving some treats (and how to avoid giving too much), chicken personalities, etc.

I'd have lots of handouts. I'd recommend BYC, some good hatcheries, local suppliers, lists of breeds that do well in your area, etc. Probably even an outline of what you'll be discussing, so they can reference things like how many square feet they should have in the coop at a later date.

So that's what I'd do. I hope you find some useful information in this!

 

[theoldchick]

To help break the ice take photos, videos of your own flock to the seminar, and start talking about your birds. Talk about why you got started, what you did wrong, and what you did right as a first time chicken owner. Discuss which breeds are best for beginners and why. Contact Purina and let them know what you are doing and I'm sure they will have all kinds of info to help you out. Add a bit of humor to your talk-discuss chicken math. Smile as much as you can because if you are having a good time so will the folks listening to you.