A lot of us started as lurkers. I lurked for 8 mos. mainly because I was not computer literate. BYC has become an addiction to me to the point I love being a greeter for new members. Most of the people on here are very kind and friendly. You may want to post on your state thread and hopefully find other chicken folks near you.
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. X2 on drumstick diva; a lot of us were lurkers before joining. ) If you haven't done so already, definitely check out our Learning Center at https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center. There is loads of useful information there. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Cheers.