Howdy, Chicken friends!

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Afrodigh

Afrodigh

Songster
5 Years
Oct 12, 2017
47
48
109
Tennessee
Hey, all! I'm new to the site, no chickens of my own yet as I've told myself I'm in "research phase" for the fall & winter. I live in Nashville and recently bought a house with a decent backyard. Nashville allows up to six chickens depending on land size - no roosters and no free ranging. I'm hoping to have bought/built a coop by spring and plan on getting some pullets (probably 3) in the spring.

(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
New! I'm reading everything I can and watching plenty of youtube videos on coop designs!

(2) How many chickens do you have right now?
I would like to get 3 in the spring, laying breeds. I'm planning to go with pullets instead of chicks (at least for now)

(3) What breeds do you have?


(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com?
From "Raising Chickens for Dummies" and every chicken related website I've come across!

(5) What are some of your other hobbies?
Gardening and DIY home projects! I've got two small veggie raised beds out front and am planning on building several more out back.

(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share.
Married to a down-right wonderful guy - no kids yet. I've got a cat, but she's indoors only. I'm a nurse at a local clinic (9-5 Mon-Fri schedule). I started composting this year and am planning on expanding my garden in the spring - chickens would be an awesome addition!
 
Hello Afrodigh. Welcome to BYC! There is tons of info here and very good people to help you on your journey as a new chicken owner. :)

If you want to get the most out of BYC, I suggest you do the following:
  • For general education, spend some time browsing the Articles link above and possibly the Learning Center. You will find excellent information for both newbies and long-time chicken owners there.
  • When you have specific questions, most of the time a quick search will come up with the answers.
  • If you don't find anything useful that way, post your question in an appropriate sub-forum. People here are very helpful and will answer your question even it has been asked 100 times before.
Good on you for putting in the time to research before bringing new birds to your home. They should be much better off for your effort. Since you are researching coops right now, you might want to browse the Coops articles with coops that others have built.
Enjoy your time here.
 
WELCOME! My biggest recommendation is build your Coop/Run as roomy as possible. You maybe limited to 6 hens but more space the better, less grouchy girls & squabbles. Since you're preferring pullets instead of chick, recommend getting 4 pullets instead of 3, I've found an odd number leaves for a loner. But since you're allowed 6 & in your enclosure is big enough why not get 6? Saves for integrating down the road. Suggest you get at least 2 of a kind if not all the same breed.

These are just suggestion from my experiences, I've had odd numbers at once where one ends up a loner. I've had mixed flock, noticed "birds of a feather stick together". My enclosure's 8 x 12 = 96q ft est 6 chickens, I've read recommended coop size 4sq ft per & run 10 sq ft per. However I've found 4 is enough for my set up, have had 5 hens that I was holding for a friend, it "felt" crowded to me.

These are just my experiences, other's will relay theirs and you'll have fun with all the learning from all the BYC members experiences. Enjoy & it's great that you're doing your homework before jumping in.
 
:welcome

Make yourself at home here, there are a lot of knowledgeable & friendly members. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks for joining us!
 

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