Glad to meet you, long time member! Congratulations on moving into chicken ownership. I hope your town allows a nice number of chickens.
You have chosen a wonderful breed. I hope you can find the birds you want. You can try your local sources, or the big poultry hatcheries (I have had good results with
Meyer Hatchery, but there are others). Or you can keep checking the
For Sale pages here at BYC. You can also use the SEARCH BAR here to see others discussing your breed, and find breeders (and just owners) that way.
Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. It's as close to a comprehensive chicken owner's manual as I have gotten here at BYC. 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!
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.
