New Member Felix

[Felixthecat]

Hello Folks,

Thinking about starting a flock of free-range laying hens on my property (.7 acres) and talked with a buddy who already has 4 chickens on his property. He and his wife recommended I hit this site for more info. I live alone, have 3 cats who are indoor/outdoor, have a small risk of hawks, grey fox and coyote (my buddy lives less than a mile away and has had no issues) and if I commit, would build my own coop. Have enough shade for the hot NC summers. Two things I haven't seen addressed here on a quick glance is 1) Chicken waste in the coop - how best to remove or collect/use for garden fertilizer and 2) My friends say get more than you think because clutches raised together interact socially better than getting, say just two and then introducing 2-3 new ones. Also my friends say RIR are good hearty chickens with larger eggs and barred-rock chickens tend to have an instinct for detecting predators. They also mentioned moving the coop periodically from location to location in the year allows for regrowth of the yard underneath and is good for the flock. I'll take any input at this point. Thanks!

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to Backyardchickens.com aka BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock.
Jump right in and make yourself at home.
I'd say your buddy gave you some good advice to start with.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

CURRENT COOP CONTEST click here >>#1

 

[Plip]

Welcome Felix! Your buddy steered you right. There's no better place on the web for all things poultry than BYC! Glad you're here!

 

[drumstick diva]

Hi Felix, I hope your buddy will join us as well. We can always use folks with chicken sense to help educate our newcomers.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy Happy to have you join the family. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
X2 what @drumstick diva , said

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under Felixthecat Welcome!

I clean under the roost each morning and toss the poop in one of two compost bins I have.

Yep, integration can be a pain sometimes so best to start off with close to the maximum you can accommodate. As a newbie, 5 to 6 is probably a good number.

I definitely recommend getting more than two. Sadly, we lose chickens along the way and if you only have two and lose one, you will have one very lonely chicken and will need to dash out and find her a friend, may be waive quarantine etc. Been there, done that

This article may help you decide on a breed: Pickin a Chicken and this is a good article also: How Much Room Do Chickens Need

I do hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

I note you mention you are in NC, but if you include your general location on your profile, this will assist others. Location, climate, season etc can be important factors when members are responding to any questions you may have and vice versa.

You might want to also Find Your State Thread and pop in and say hello.

BYC has a Learning Centre and also Topic of the Week discussions which I have found to be a great resource and a one stop shop for questions which may have already been discussed within the BYC membership group. These may be of particular interest to you at this stage:
Topic of the Week - Getting Started, Keeping Chickens
Topic of the Week - Keeping the Flock Safe from Predators

If you would like to share Pictures and Stories of your flock when they arrive, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out

Best wishes and good luck.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hello Folks,

Thinking about starting a flock of free-range laying hens on my property (.7 acres) and talked with a buddy who already has 4 chickens on his property. He and his wife recommended I hit this site for more info. I live alone, have 3 cats who are indoor/outdoor, have a small risk of hawks, grey fox and coyote (my buddy lives less than a mile away and has had no issues) and if I commit, would build my own coop. Have enough shade for the hot NC summers. Two things I haven't seen addressed here on a quick glance is 1) Chicken waste in the coop - how best to remove or collect/use for garden fertilizer and 2) My friends say get more than you think because clutches raised together interact socially better than getting, say just two and then introducing 2-3 new ones. Also my friends say RIR are good hearty chickens with larger eggs and barred-rock chickens tend to have an instinct for detecting predators. They also mentioned moving the coop periodically from location to location in the year allows for regrowth of the yard underneath and is good for the flock. I'll take any input at this point. Thanks!

Welcome to Backyard Chickens happy to have you join

 

[Felixthecat]

G’Day from down under Felixthecat Welcome!

I clean under the roost each morning and toss the poop in one of two compost bins I have.

Yep, integration can be a pain sometimes so best to start off with close to the maximum you can accommodate. As a newbie, 5 to 6 is probably a good number.

I definitely recommend getting more than two. Sadly, we lose chickens along the way and if you only have two and lose one, you will have one very lonely chicken and will need to dash out and find her a friend, may be waive quarantine etc. Been there, done that

This article may help you decide on a breed: Pickin a Chicken and this is a good article also: How Much Room Do Chickens Need

I do hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

I note you mention you are in NC, but if you include your general location on your profile, this will assist others. Location, climate, season etc can be important factors when members are responding to any questions you may have and vice versa.

You might want to also Find Your State Thread and pop in and say hello.

BYC has a Learning Centre and also Topic of the Week discussions which I have found to be a great resource and a one stop shop for questions which may have already been discussed within the BYC membership group. These may be of particular interest to you at this stage:
Topic of the Week - Getting Started, Keeping Chickens
Topic of the Week - Keeping the Flock Safe from Predators

If you would like to share Pictures and Stories of your flock when they arrive, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out

Best wishes and good luck.

Thanks Teila.
Still doing research and thinking things over. Thanks for the suggestion of expanding my profile. FYI, Australia is on my bucket list of places to visit. I play and fabricate didgeridoos!

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Welcome aboard to BYC family gr8 people tons of information loads of fun enjoy shake your tail feathers

 

[Teila]

Thanks Teila.
Still doing research and thinking things over. Thanks for the suggestion of expanding my profile. FYI, Australia is on my bucket list of places to visit. I play and fabricate didgeridoos!

Don't laugh, but have you tried playing the didgeridoo in the shower [cubicle]? Not with the shower running of course

A friend of mine plays and I was a bit concerned when he had the didgeridoo in his hand and told me to step in to the shower with him LOL .. the acoustics was awesome!