Hi, Im a New Chicken Mama

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HerbalGypsy said:
I am new to chickens, but been planning for years. I am in the process of getting my coop and run set up (Still a little cold here in SW Michigan).

I dont have any chickens yet but plan to get 6-7 chicks in Spring. I habe been looking into Orpingtons, Australops and Wyandottes.

Egg prices have nothing to do with my decision. I have always wanted to be more self efficient. We dont have a lot of space (a little under 3/4 an acre). But between my Garden and now the Chickens I feel I am one step closer to my goal.

I am a Master Herbalist and am studying to become a Clinical Herbalist. I have always been interested in herbal healing.

I am a Happily Married (17 years) Mother of 7 (4 Steps, 2 Adopted, 1 Biological), Mema to 2 wonderful grandsons. Besides our new chicken additions we have a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Chocolate Lab 8 year old and a 2 year old Black Cat.

We enjoy Motorcycles, Camping, Bonfires, Gardening and hanging with the grands.

I have been reading and learning so much on this Forum and am very Thankful I found all of you..
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Welcome to BYC!!
 
Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies! I always check in the "What's New" section as well at the top of this page. This way I can read how I may have a similar question or help give some advice.
 
Boppo said:
Glad to meet you, and welcome to BYC. There are other folks here who garden, and a good many who grow herbs, but I am not sure that we have another master herbalist nor a medical herbalist! Wow. Your knowledge can help you with your birds, actually, and I look forward to hearing your contributions to conversations here.

Best wishes with your new flock - how exciting!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. All articles are short, and 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)

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. Flowers, herbs & weeds for chickens (with links to similar articles)

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!

Excellent blog post from Farmer's Almanack about chicken coops (includes helpful information about size requirements, among many other useful things)

Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
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Thanks for such a warm welcome.

2 of my Sons and my Hubby are converting a 7x7 shed into my coop which will eventually have an 8x16 run attached (Im sure the grandbabies will try to help too... lol). Only plan on 6-8 birds, but decided to go a bit bigger due to Chicken Math... The coop will be at the back of my Garden so on the North East Corner of my little yard (.75 acres)... We bought 6 inch x 6 inch Attic Vents to add to the shed and the plexglass over the door windows will be unscrewed and hardware cloth over them for the warmer months... The doors of the coop will be facing West to catch the breezes... The run will be partly under a tree so plenty of Sun and Shade and I plan to plant some refreshing herbs around the outside of the run to 1. Deter predators and 2 so the girls can have some yummy healthy beneficial snacking... I am sure my herbs will come in just as handy for my new girls as it has to help my family...
 

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