New to this all!

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Glad to meet you and welcome to BYC. Your child will enjoy helping you with your new chicks or chickens. I expect you already know that anybody needs to wash hands after dealing with chickens and ducks, especially wee ones who still put their hands in their mouths.

JenBirdee has a good point about roosters posing a risk to toddlers. When they are chicks, everything is fine, but once the hormones start up (crowing), all their protective instincts kick in. A rooster's job is to protect his ladies, and they take it very seriously. But they can misunderstand a child shouting or romping and running near the flock, and attack. Toddlers and younger are at the height where a rooster can cause a lot of damage and terror. Just make sure your child's memories of chickens are good ones. There are certain breeds, either autosexing breeds or sex-link breeds where you can tell from a young chick whether you are looking at a male or a female. Or you can rely on the sexing experts at one of the large hatcheries, and order an all female batch. They are pretty good, but occasionally make a mistake.

But it's so exciting to be at that planning stage where you are now. Best wishes choosing your chicks, getting healthy ones, and making all your preparations!


Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. 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. Picking the Right Breed of Chicken - I love this article because it has a spreadsheet with many different characteristics to compare between breeds. If you live in a cold climate, or a hot climate, you can choose breeds that will thrive where you live. You can look for calm, friendly breeds, too! And it will note laying prowess, color of eggs, and more.

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures - good to be prepared! This includes at least one discussion of a first aid kit to make up.

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.

Best wishes! Let us know what you do next!
 
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.
 

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