In a few days I pick up the four new members to our family: 2 Orpington chicks and 2 Americauna chicks (and I hope they will be hens). Our family includes several cats and this is the first time to have chickens added to our "flock." Like any first-time mom, I'm excited and nervous at the same time (What if I don't keep them warm enough? What if they get sick? What if they don't eat? What if....). I have a coop, but when they are older I also want them to be outside in a chicken tractor or an outdoor pen so they can enjoy the sun, eat bugs, roll around in the earth and feel the grass beneath their toes. I figure I have a few months to decide on a design and build one that is best suited for these four girls. Always appreciate helpful tips and suggestions, too.
Welcome to Backyard Chickens! Glad you joined the flock! BYC is a very helpful and informative site about poultry! Make sure you keep an eye on your cat around those chicks. Hope you enjoy it here!
Hi and welcome to our community - thanks for joining us. On this link you'll find lots of information on almost every aspect of keeping birds - from coop building ideas, to incubating eggs - https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ There’s a link on the page above to the Learning Centre - it’s a great resource. If you have a specific topic in mind, just type it in the search box - there's a wealth of information on past and present threads. Each week, various topics are discussed, which can also be a great resource - https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive Here’s a link to general links and the different forums on BYC - https://www.backyardchickens.com/misc/quick-navigation-menu You can use this link to contact members in your area - Find Your State Thread Best wishes Pork Pie
Thanks - everyone - for the advice regarding the cats. The chicks will be in an enclosed pen until they're old enough and big enough to... stand up for themselves and chase the cats! ;-)