Newbie

[Nikki Stegall]

Hi, thanks for the add. We just bought a place big enough for a few animals and I'm looking forward to starting a flock. I've never kept chickens, we haven't bought any yet...my husband's family raised cows and had a dairy, my family has always had horses so we are good on those aspects but neither of us has ever had chickens, so we are clueless. We definitely want laying hens, but have no knowledge of breeds. Right now we have 3 horses, 2 dogs and a momma cat who's due in a few weeks. Our human babies are 15, 10 and 3. They are looking forward to expanding our little farm.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Welcome to byc!! Glad you could join the Flock! Let me know if you need anything! wonderful animals you have there!

 

[Shadrach]

Hello Nikki Stegall.
Welcome to BYC.
One advantage to chickens is they eat less than horses and don't tread on your toes as much.

 

[meglynnie]

Welcome to the flock!

 

[feathermaid]

Well, it would be wise to get your coop plan figured out first. A spare horse stall makes a great home for chickens and is much easier to convert than starting from scratch. You'd also want to give them plenty of outdoor space as well. Do you plan to free range? I love have a mixed flock of different breeds... so pretty to look at AND they also give a colorful egg basket!

Here's a few links with some helpful info to get you started:
Brooding Chicks: The First 6 Weeks
Start Raising Your Chicks Outdoors
You Certainly Can Brood Chicks Outdoors
How Much Room Do Chickens Need
Chicken Coop Ventilation - Go Out There And Cut More Holes In Your Coop!

Best wishes starting your new chicken adventure!

 

[sourland]

Congratulations on your new home, and welcome to BYC.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC and congrats on your new hobby.


Here are some links to key resources:

• List of guides on how to use the site - announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3
• Great resource for beginners = https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/learning-center.11/
• Good starting point for browsing the site - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/
• Interesting feedback on how members manage their flocks -https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archives
• Excellent source of local information - Find your State's thread.

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[CarpCharacin]

Welcome to BYC! We're glad you decided to join our wonderful community!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Hello! Welcome to BYC!!

I have to disagree about the toe-treading, @Shadrach , it just doesn't hurt when the chickems do it I had to laugh at my brahma perched on top of my boot yesterday, impatiently waiting for a scoop of meal worms.

Feel free to check out the links below for some interesting reading. Good luck on your adventures!​