Overwhelmed chicken newbie

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PuttinOnTheRitz

In the Brooder
Feb 25, 2018
5
28
36
Michigan
Hello everyone!
My family is new to chickens and talked into taking on this project by my 11 year old daughter. Our chicks have not arrived yet, but I am already stressed about what we have gotten ourselves in to. I'm sure that it will work out fine, but there just seems to be so much conflicting information out there that I'm confused about what is the right way to do things. But, that is why I'm here! A friend who has been raising chickens for a few years recommended this site. Ok, enough about my anxiety and back to the questions. We have ordered 15 chicks from a hatchery. We will be getting Black Australorps, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Gold Laced Wyandotte, Barred Rock, and Buff Orpingtons. Besides giving in to every crazy idea my daughter has, my only other hobby is horses. We have two Arabian geldings that my youngest daughter and I both show. The horses are my best buddies, my stress relievers, and where most of my pay check goes . My husband and I have 4 children, 2 of which are still at home. Our house is also occupied by an overly attached German Shepherd, a psychotic black cat, and a slightly overweight bunny.
I look forward to chatting with you all and soaking up all of your chicken wisdom
 
G’Day from down under PuttinOnTheRitz :frow Welcome!

I have not had much to do with caring for horses but I think chickens are easier and definitely easier than psychotic black cats which I do have experience with :p ;) I believe, with the experience you have, you will have chickens covered also. All you can do is research as much as you can, make a decision which you think suits you and your flock and go with it. But, if you do feel overwhelmed, do not be afraid to ask.

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.

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, informative and sometimes entertaining; so definitely worth checking out. I do not want to overwhelm you even more, but these discussions may be of assistance:
Topic/Question of the week - Brooding and supplementing heat for chicks
Topic of the Week - Raising Chicks

If you would like to share Pictures and Stories of your flock or other critters, 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!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC. Try not to be alarmed by conflicting information - it just shows how there is no right or wrong way to raise chickens (most of the time). My advice would be to read through conflicting information and then decide which course of action suits you and your management style.
 
:goodpost::old:clap

Greetings and welcome to BYC! So glad you joined us. Relax! Chickens are considered the gateway animal to hobby farmers because they really are pretty easy to learn and pretty forgiving. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Including step by step directions. I'd recommend the learning center as a great place to start out https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/learning-center.11/ :caf

Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!

Oh, if you haven't done so already, PLEASE put at least your general location in your profile. It could be very important if/when you ask for or offer help or advice. You know, climate issues and such. I recommend at least your state as most folks won't be able to figure out where if you put anything more specific (county, town, street, etc) by itself. Old folks like me :old will never remember & look there first. To add it, mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes. Thanks! Hope you enjoy the site!
 

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