Hello friends!

[kellylaurin523]

My name is Kelly, and I am brand new to the joys of chicken keeping. I live in Charleston, SC and have and "urban" coop in my back yard. I got my chicks at the end of April, and am about to move the girls outside any day now. My boyfriend and I built a coop in my back yard (after of course I first purchased one online and decided it wasnt good enough for the ladies).

I currently have 4 chicks, but can easily see that increasing! 1 is a lavender orphington, 1 is a light brahma and the other two are "mutts" between orphington/brahma.

Right now, I am really have a hard time deciding what to put down on my coop run. It rains quite a bit here, so I am almost sold on gravel, but havent yet pulled the trigger, so dirt for now!

I also have one very large (135lbs) dog, who I think is going to need some work with the girls. Hes sweet as pie, but very focused on the chicks, so that is going to be a careful and long road.

Any suggestions on the above would be greatly appreciated! I have gone through a lot of the threads already but always welcome more input since I really have no clue what I am doing. I want the girls to be safe, healthy and happy!

Excited to join the community!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Hi Kelly! Welcome to BYC!

 

[N F C]

Hi Kelly, it's nice to have you here!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens Kelly, it is very nice to meet you.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi Kelly and welcome to BYC

On this link you'll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping birds - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/

There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads.

Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive


You can use this link to contact members in your area - Find Your State Thread

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[o0Zilla0o]

Hello Kelly

 

[Lazy Farmer]

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

Glad you decided to join the party!! There are so many knowledgeable folks here willing to answer any/all questions. We share stories, laughter, and sometimes grief...it really is a big happy family. Jump right in any enjoy!