Hi everyone, thanks for the add! I'm going to start raising chickens (laying hens) for the first time in my backyard. We're in a suburb of Cleveland OH. The plan is to start out with a small coop and four hens. I'm in the middle of researching breeds. I think I found my coop, I just need to figure out how to modify the run to make it bigger. It has to be enclosed because we have hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and possum in our yard. If you have feathers, fins, or fur you're ok in my book. Two legged humans are suspect We have five cats (Nobukitty, Peepers, Happycat, Spooky Tooth, and Lulubelle), and our Betta fish, Fernando. No kids. We love gardening, hiking, national parks, and microbreweries. Thanks in advance for what I'm sure will be a zillion questions
Hi and welcome to BYC Here’s a good link where you’ll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping chickens - 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
Congrats on deciding to get into poultry, it's fun and interesting (and the eggs are good too). Here are a couple of links that discuss various breeds if you'd like to check them out: Pickin' the Right Frickin' Chicken: Guide to Picking Backyard Chicken Breeds chooks.html Best of luck to you, if you have questions always feel free to ask!
Chickens are such a fun and rewarding hobby, but do be warned, they are addictive . I hope you enjoy it as much as we all do.
We are glad you joined our flock. Jump right in and make yourself at home. This video will help you learn how to navigate this site: Official BYC Coop Page Contest - Fall-Winter 2017
G'Day from down under citykitty Welcome! Very exciting! I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Please do check out the Topic of the Week discussions Pork Pie mentioned. I have found these to be a great resource, informative and sometimes entertaining. These two in particular may be of assistance: Topic of the Week - Getting Started, Keeping Chickens Topic of the Week - Keeping the Flock Safe from Predators If you would like to share Pictures and Stories of your flock when they arrive and/or other critters, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out You may also be interested in these links: Coop & Run Forum Predators & Pests Forum How Much Room do Chickens Need?