Newbie here!

[SilverBirds]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[sourland]

Good morning, Heather, and welcome to BYC.

 

[Tookie]

Hello, welcome to BYC! So glad to have you!

I'm seeing Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, a Easter Egger, and a Welsummer or Brown Leghorn.

 

[LTAY1946]

Hello And Welcome to BYC!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hi, and welcome to BYC Heather! We're glad you joined us!

 

[N F C]

Hi Heather, thanks for joining us!

 

[Boppo]

Glad to meet you, Heather. Welcome to BYC. Yep, Two Crows has it nailed - definitely purebred CutiePies!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. 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.

 

[xomommy26]

I am terrible at breed identification in baby chicks, but I can tell they are all lovely babies!

Congrats on getting your own chickens and on joining this group of generous and knowledgeable folks who will be happy to help you with challenges and cheer your successes.

Welcome to BYC, Heather, and, I hope your garden is doing well this year!

Thank you! We’ve been talking about wanting chickens for awhile, but the previous place we lived we couldn’t. We just recently relocated from Oregon to Washington and now have plenty of room for all my gardening and now chickens.

 

[xomommy26]

Welcome to BYC!!

Thank you!

 

[xomommy26]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. Thank's for Sharing the picture's your Chicks are Beautiful! And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska.

Thank you! I can’t wait to see how beautiful they will be fully feathered.

Welcome to BYC, Heather! Did you buy pullets or straight run chicks?

They were all labeled pullets !

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Nice introduction! Aww....your babies are adorable! I am terrible at IDs but I can tell you they are of the cutie pie breed. ❤

Stop by our What Breed and Gender forums and start a thread on them for more help... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/what-breed-or-gender-is-this.15/

Make yourself at home here!

Thank you, I will make my way there soon!

Hi Heather! what sweet little chicks you have. I am also big into gardening. besides all the chicken and other poultry info you will also find some gardening forums on here. Welcome to BYC!!

Thank you! I’ve noticed some of the gardening things on here but haven’t had a chance to check them out, I definitely will! Already I’d love to add ducks sometime soon but I know nothing about them.

Glad to meet you, Heather. Welcome to BYC. Yep, Two Crows has it nailed - definitely purebred CutiePies!

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. 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.

Wow thank you for all the information, I will definitely read over all those pages. I want my chickens to be as healthy and happy as possible and am excited to continue learning. The setup we have now is temporary until the run is built.