is backyard chickens dying out or am I just SOL?

[Bigtom Turkey]

Taking into consideration of what all of you guys said, I'd say another reason would be BYC not dying out, instead it becoming more popular.

Let me explain. BYC has been gaining a ton of new members since I joined and most are here to take help from others (including myself, I joined for help) and the problem is, when these people start giving advices when they dont know the subject material. Experienced members will see the replies and see that a thread has let's say 6 replies and they'll think "Oh this person got help, okay next one" but in reality the replies that thread got is probably something like "Oooooh I'd love to help but I can't haha" and THAT hampers how much actual help you're gonna get A LOT

Yup, I drop in from time to time to check how things are going in the gendering section, but will pass if they have more then 5 replies, without even looking at the pics.

 

[Cot Cot]

I agree, I have noticed this as well. Not sure what has changed but there clearly is less response quickly....

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you post an important question & can’t wait too long for a response (like need medical help), wait 30 minutes and then post another comment to bump it back up to the top. Sometimes there are so many new threads that others get dropped to the bottom due to over activity.

Please don't bump threads. It's against forum policy, plus it turns into a bumping contest where everyone thinks their topic is the most urgent, and then that encourages others to do the same.

If it's truly an emergency you're probably better off searching old threads for similar issues, and that'll at least give you a starting point to work with until someone can respond.

 

[Weeg]

I try to do the same. If I am not familiar with the issue, I usually just don't comment. I have to be honest, it really bothers me when people who do not know what they are talking about, give information to some poor person who is just trying to get help for their chicken. And if you give differing information (even if you are right) it starts a back and forth like school kids. I have just not responded when challenged. And felt really sorry for the poor person who started the thread and their bird.

Yes! Or someone who googles the issue, clicks on the first thing, and tells them what they read.
Example, a novice member told me to soak my hens infested with mites when I first joined. They said this would drown them and help with treatment. Made sence to me, so I did it. Later had to post another emergency thread because my hens where fading from hypothermia when it was 80 degrees out. People try to help, but if you aren't sure what you're talking about, don't post. I try to do the same.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Lately BYC has filled up with a good number of members who are here only to chat with friends and fool around in the off topic sections.
Wishing you luck with replies!

This
BYC is more popular then ever but its getting less and less popular with poultry knowledgeable members.
It's becoming just another social media outlet and dragging in all the drama that comes with them.
A lot of the knowledgeable and helpful members have disappeared.
I miss the old BYC back when it was about poultry.

 

[aart]

This
BYC is more popular then ever but its getting less and less popular with poultry knowledgeable members.
It's becoming just another social media outlet and dragging in all the drama that comes with them.
A lot of the knowledgeable and helpful members have disappeared.
I miss the old BYC back when it was about poultry.

Ditto Dat!!!!

 

[Bakbuk]

Lately BYC has filled up with a good number of members who are here only to chat with friends and fool around in the off topic sections.
Wishing you luck with replies!

Ouch! A few of my toes that needed to be stepped on were successfully trodden here. Thank you Clucky, I really appreciate that.
I need to be doing more things chicken-wise here instead of just hanging out and having fun.

 

[HappyClucker7]

Is this website dying out? Last year I had to come on here several times for issues with my chickens(I was a new coop mom, so every little thing scared me) but I ALWAYS got responses super fast. Like at least three in just minutes. Now I have to wait hours for even one response, and sometimes it’s not even advice… should I be using different tags? Is there a way to get my posts to be seen by more people or is this website just not as popular as it was a year ago? Really not trying to complain, I just need more help! Google can’t help like chicken people can.

You have to remember that none of us are vets, and none of us are experts at everything. Not everyone can help you if your chicken is sick, not everyone can help with hatching eggs, and not everyone can help with sexing and breed identification. When you post a thread, you have to wait for people that can actually answer your questions, and they might not be on at the time that you post.
It's also not anyone's job to be on here constantly looking through threads and answering questions. Everyone here has their own lives, and they only answer threads because they want to help people and their chickens. But they are not obligated to do it all the time.

 

[HappyClucker7]

Lately BYC has filled up with a good number of members who are here only to chat with friends and fool around in the off topic sections.
Wishing you luck with replies!

This
BYC is more popular then ever but its getting less and less popular with poultry knowledgeable members.
It's becoming just another social media outlet and dragging in all the drama that comes with them.
A lot of the knowledgeable and helpful members have disappeared.
I miss the old BYC back when it was about poultry.

I agree. I mean, it's fine to chat when it's appropriate, but we still have to remember that this is a chicken forum. Not a social media site like facebook or twitter.

 

[Kiki]

Is this website dying out? Last year I had to come on here several times for issues with my chickens(I was a new coop mom, so every little thing scared me) but I ALWAYS got responses super fast. Like at least three in just minutes. Now I have to wait hours for even one response, and sometimes it’s not even advice… should I be using different tags? Is there a way to get my posts to be seen by more people or is this website just not as popular as it was a year ago? Really not trying to complain, I just need more help! Google can’t help like chicken people can.

Are you referring to this thread that you started last night that got a response within 30 minutes of you posting the thread?

Thread 'I think my barred rock is dying, please help' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-think-my-barred-rock-is-dying-please-help.1511804/