Yes, that search function is good, and located at the top of EVERY forum page, in the blue bar just above where it says "logged in as...", Just BELOW the BackYardChickenForum banner acrosss the top, and is the 4th item from the left....
If you have a newbie or basic question, there isn't much you can't find direction on by doing a search. THEN when you ask your question, you will at least have some background knowledge and be better able to digest whatever answers you get, with less frustration on everyone's part.
And, of course if you look WAAAYYY At the VERY TIPPY TOP of the screen, above the BYC banner, you'll find a link to the 'learning center'.
Honestly, seeing the same questions over and over gets tiring for those of us here for Chicken Fun, knowledge and socialization. BUT, having said that, helping other people and learning more ourselves about chickens is one of the reasons we keep coming back to the forum every day....EVERY day....Hours and HOURS each day... LOL!
Less redundant threads means more time to get to know each other and our chickens, and that's the best part about this forum!!
Oh, had to add this PS on general forum ettiquette:
If you have a question, please DO NOT post the same or very similar post in more than one category. Those of us who check the forum daily usually do so through the 'recent posts' link at the bottom of the page - it shows anything new anywhere in the forum over the last 24 hours.
It's really annoying to see someone post the same exact question in 2 or 3 new threads in different categories in the space of a couple hours. You'll get a MUCH better, more cohesive response if you post just ONE time. If you accidentally post in the wrong category, make an entry on your post and ask the mods to move it, rather than re-posting again.
AND if you feel your post isn't getting enough or quick attention, reply to your own thread to 'bump' it. That will make it go back up to the top of the recent posting list where folks will see it who might have missed it the first time.