Hello from New Orleans

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BougieBee said:
Hi! My name is Brandy and I am new to chickens, however, when I was little my great grandmother had a flock and I have loved them ever since. I don't currently have any chickens because the yard space I used to have was very tiny. I have 2 dogs, a Mini Schnauzer and a shepherd mix, so there was really no place for me to put chickens. I recently moved to a home with a large yard (yay!) and I am planning to start my flock this coming spring. I couldn't be more excited! I am not sure yet which breeds I want to get, but I do know I would prefer larger birds for eggs, not meat (at least at this point). I also love gardening and crafting.
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Welcome to BYC!! I love the name Brandy! 😊
 
DobieLover said:
Hello Brandy, and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
Spend lots of time in the coop and run forum as well as reading highly rated coop build articles to learn what chickens require for healthy, safe housing then spend this fall/winter/spring building the coop and run.
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Yes! Thank you. That was exactly what I was thinking. Start over the fall and winter so everything is ready for my girls in the spring. I'm so excited!
 
johnspillman said:
Hi Brandy, I'm John from St. Francisville, La. I used to go to Metairie to listen to bands a lot but I don't get out much anymore. I don't have any experience with chickens but I started raising ducks as pets recently and have found some great info on this site. If you know anyone in La. with a female duck that they want to part with, I have a lonely male that feels like a 3rd wheel in my 3 duck flock now. Good luck with your chickens.
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Thank you for the welcome. I have been to St. Francisville a few times. It is lovely there. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone with ducks, but I hope you find your guy a girlfriend soon!
 
Glad to meet you, Brandy, and welcome to BYC. You want to be sure your local government allows chickens, and find out whether there are limits, like whether you can keep a rooster, or the number of birds you can keep. Call your city or town hall to ask. If you run into a hard NO, there are members and others who have managed to change the law, so don't despair.

Congratulations on your new home, with space for your gardening and your chickens! You are at such a fun and exciting time. Choosing breeds or where to get your birds is a lot of fun. In addition to the link Two Crows offers, there is a good article on "Pickin' the Right Frickin' Chicken" which gives a really good, concise way to compare breeds, and things to consider in your choices.

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

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!
 

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