Welcome to The BackyardChickens.com Forum! + Newsletter Archive

[BYC Support]

May 2013​

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A Standing Ovation: New BYC Member Ovations!
Almost a year ago we announced our exciting new BYC Member Ovations system. This fantastic new tool has been a huge hit with our community as they show their appreciation for posts, articles, and images shared by their fellow members. In fact, the ovations system has been such a success that we’ve made a fantastic update. Now, you’ll receive email notifications each time one of your posts receives ovation points. We hope this feature will be one more way for our members to come closer together in our wonderful community!





Show Us Your Beak!
Well, your face, that is. Hopefully you've already introduced yourself in our “New Member Introductions” forum, but it's also nice to put a face to a name. Come over to the “Putting Faces With Names (Submit Your Mug Here!)” thread and share some pics with the community!





Tips For a Chicken Proof Garden

Chickens and gardens should go together beautifully. Your flock will eat up the bugs and weed seeds and provide you with some of the best natural fertilizer on the planet! Check out this great article for tips and tricks on how to chicken-proof your garden.



Hot Topics on BYC

• Do chickens know their breed?
• Moving a setting hen?
• Bullying, Bathing, Runts, and Handling Hens
• Chicken repellant?
• Eggs from ebay: What was your hatch rate?
• Meaties not really huge
• When to buy chicken scratch?

 

[BYC Support]

June 2013​

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"Chillin' With My Peeps" T-shirts!
Our members have been clamoring for new BYC clothing for a very long time and we’ve finally delivered on their demands! Check out our updated “Chillin’ With My Peeps” design that we’re super excited to share with you! We’ve got a great selection of tees for men and women, including some hoodies and tank tops! Supplies are limited, so hurry and grab your favorites today!





New Tudy Coloring Contest
Tudy (our two dimensional mascot… 2D = TUDY. Get it? HA.) has a new look and she needs your help adding a bit of color to her outfit! Come give Tudy a bit of color you could win a free GFM! Just download her picture, add some of your own personal touches, and share it with our community!





Understanding Pecking Order

Have you wondered, “What is the 'pecking order' and why is it important?” Chickens are very social animals, and like most social animals they create a hierarchy in an effort to create and maintain order. Check out this article to learn more about this very interesting and necessary process.



Hot Topics on BYC

• Do you play favorites? Admit it....it's OK
• Chickens in the movies? Come submit your favorites!
• Discussion on chickens eating weeds
• Egg bound with broken egg
• How do you get rid of rats?
• July Hatch-a-long
• I caught a raccoon & another & another GRAPHIC PICS
• Integrating 2 flocks
• Chickens - Pets Or Slaves
• How do I improve the quality of these eggs/shells?

 

[BYC Support]

July 2013​

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Post your "First Egg" pics!
There are few moments as exciting as your very first egg from your flock of backyard chickens! In fact, this is such a wonderful event that we’ve created a special thread just for our members to post pictures of their very first eggs! Come on over and share your pics of your first egg!



Coop page contest ending
Have you built a great home for your flock? Maybe it was custom designed by an award winning architect? Perhaps you just nailed a few recycled pallets together and called it a day? Regardless, we want to see your coops added to BYC! Create a BYC Coop Page and submit it to our contest to be included in our index of coops! Hurry, because we’re only accepting submissions until 8/26!



New BYC fridge magnets

We’ve received lots of requests for new items to be added to our BYC store, and we’ve answered those requests with a fun set of new hand-painted refrigerator magnets! We’re starting out with a handful of breeds, including Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and others!

Hot Topics on BYC

• Flies no more!! Found the perfect fly repellent
• How early have your birds started laying?
• What age do you put the young hens in with the older ones
• Mites: I've tried EVERYTHING
• Where do chicks like to be pet the most?
• What Special Healthy Treats Do You Provide?
• One of my hens keeps pecking me - please help
• Prolapsed Vent for 3 days - Where to go from here???
• Human pests!!

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[BYC Support]

August 2013​

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Labor Day SALE – 15% OFF All BYC Clothing!
It’s that time of year when sales abound, and BYC’s no exception. Come check out our store and get 15% off all of our clothing. Supplies are limited and the sale ends late Monday, Sept. 1st, so hurry and place your order!




NEW POLL: How Many Chickens Do You Have?
It’s easy for us to count how many members we have on BYC, but it’s harder to count how many chickens everyone owns. Come answer our poll on how many chickens you have, and then add your count to the running total!




Mama Aflec's Chick House

This member's first blueprints for her new chicken coop went down the toilet… literally. Fortunately she pushed forward, and the coop turned out beautifully! Come take a look.




Best Feed For Your Flock

Raising a Backyard Flock? Start your backyard flock off right with nutrient-rich Purina

Feed. Find the right feed for your flock!


Hot Topics on BYC

• When do chickens lay?
• Breed recommendations for a newbie
• My hen attacked me WHY?
• Help getting my chickens to find their nesting boxes
• Goodbye chickies...one snoopy neighbor and an HOA letter
• How would you get rid of coyotes?
• Broiler Meat Birds: To Brood Or Not To Brood
• What is reasonable time to let the rooster outside?
• 6 month old layers aren't laying!?
• Sand for Bedding questions

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[BYC Support]

September 2013​

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Interesting Facts About Eggs
Ever wondered why hens can lay eggs every day of the week? How come these ladies don't need a weekend to recover from their labor? Why are some eggs brown, while others are white? How many days do you have to wait for an egg to hatch? Get answers and learn more fun facts about chicken eggs.


Why Do You Keep Roosters?
There are many city and town ordinances that forbid roosters - and roosters aren’t exactly necessary for a happy and healthy flock of egg-laying machines. But many people like to have roos in their flock. Read why your fellow members keep roosters and share your own thoughts!


Contest: When Will BYC Have 230,000 Members?

Thanks to all our members for spreading the word about the benefits of raising backyard chickens and telling their friends about our wonderful community. We’d like to celebrateBYC's continued growth with another fun contest. We’re giving away 3 free GFM’s, so come guess when we’ll hit 230,000 members!


Take the Jolt Out of Molt!

Molting takes a lot out of your flock and leaves them looking worse for the wear. Help restore their plumage with NatureWise

Feather Fixer

, a complete feed that provides 18% protein and organic trace minerals for optimal feather growth. It also includes Mite-Fighter

technology to help prevent mite infestation. It’s the natural way to help your flock get back to looking, and feeling, their best. Learn more at FeatherFixer.com.
Hot Topics on BYC

• What do you wish you had known before you got your chickens?
• Official BYC Contest: Worst Chicken Molt Pictures, Fall-Winter 2013
• What is the most expensive chicken you have brought or sold?
• Winter is Coming! Checklists, tips, advice for a newbie
• Show Me Your Feeders!
• What predators can roosters actually kill/fend off?
• Chicken Breeds for new Chicken owner? Help!
• Post pictures of your shabby and chic coops here
• Feeding your chickens apples
• Test Your Diagnostic Skills – WARNING: Contains Graphic Necropsy Photos

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[BYC Support]

December 2013​

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New Official Book + Free Calendar!
We’re super excited to announce that we’ve added a 4th book to our library of printed options for caring for your flock of backyard chickens: Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies. This book is a combination of tons of gardening and chicken raising experience from Bonnie Jo Manion, the author of the blog VintageGardenGal.com. For a limited time, you’ll also get a FREE 2014 BYC Calendar with your purchase of this great new book!​

Training/Teaching a Dog About Chickens
Sometimes there are weekly reports of members' beloved pet dogs attacking their flock, and most of the time it's a complete surprise to owners. Can dogs be trained to play nice with chickens? What are your experiences with raising backyard chickens alongside of your pet dog?​

Best Feed for your Flock
Raising a Backyard Flock? Start your backyard flock off right with nutrient-rich Purina® Feed. Find the right feed for your flock!
Hot Topics on BYC

• What is the absolute coldest air temps your chickens have experienced happily!
• What do you all do to keep your birds from being too bored all Winter?
• Will my chickens eat snow if their water freezes? Will they be safe?
• Dirt floor vs. raised wooden floor coop construction
• Red mite infestation!!! How to treat coop in subzero temps?
• Developing the grass in your yard for increasing free ranging nutrition
• How to tame your chickens
• Pro's and Con's, Breed Choice
• Frozen eggs!

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[BYC Support]

January 2014​

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Growing Fodder During Winter
Are your chickens missing greenery during these cold months? Check out this amazing discussion about growing fodder for you backyard chickens during Winter. The thread is full of wonderful information and fantastic pictures!​

Common Egg Quality Problems
Have you ever noticed abnormalities or problems with your chickens’ eggs? Check out this great article that’s packed full of info and pictures of common egg shell and other egg problems.​

Chicken Coop Page Contest Ending
Love our coop section on BYC? Our coop contest is our way of adding new coops to our index. Don't miss out on submitting your coop as a design, and the chance to inspire others! Contest ends for submissions on 2/15.​

Hot Topics on BYC

• Heated Water Bowl - Fire Started in Indianapolis, killed 6 chickens and 60k damage
• MarineCorpFarmr Egg BOMB - A new Beginning! Follow along!
• Any suggestions on how to solve our frostbite problem?
• Trying To Make Money On Meat Birds
• Is this diet OK for Chickens?
• Happy Hen Chicken Rescue!
• Whole Corn Vs Cracked Corn, What do you use?

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[BYC Support]

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February 2014​

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5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!
Thousands (yes, thousands!) of eggs are about to be set by peeps all over the world! Our goal is to all hatch out a ton of cute fuzz-butts on the same day right before Easter: Saturday, March 29th. Learn more about this super-fun annual event and hatch-a-long with us this Easter!



Simulated Nest Incubation Experiment
On BYC we love our members creativity! But we’re especially excited when they share it with the rest of our community. This “Simulated Natural Nest Incubation Experiment” is a perfect example! Check out the experiment and post your thoughts, ideas, or just reply with how cool it is!

BYC Sister Sites Updated
BYC has three sister sites and they’ve all gone through some cool changes in the last few months. We’ve done extensive upgrades to the sites, so if you’re into gardening, living a more self-sufficient life, or have other backyard herd animals, you should stop by for a visit: BackYardHerds, SufficientSelf, TheEasyGarden.



Raising a Healthy Flock
The backyard chicken revolution is now and Chick Days at Tractor Supply is the place to be this Spring! From late February through April, you'll find supplies online and know-how you need to raise a healthy, productive flock. Tractor Supply, helping to bring backyard chickens to the forefront!
Hot Topics on BYC

• Everyone is discouraging me
• What age to introduce new chickens to existing flock?
• Help with drafting a letter to the township?
• How long until chickens lay after moving them?
• Where Do You Get/Rescue Battery Hens From?
• Chickens who HATE snow?
• How to prevent an aggressive cockerel
• Questions concerning lockdown and humidity

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[BYC Support]

March 2014

Costs To Raise Chickens
The costs to raise chickens can vary wildly based on many variables.
We recently created a new article with some of the basic information
on the expenses associated with raising your own flock. We’d love to
get your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about the costs of
getting started and maintaining your chickens.

Cut More Holes In Your Coop
Coop ventilation is an important part of any coop design and setup.
No matter the season or climate you live in, make sure your coop has
adequate and proper air, humidity, and ammonia circulation and
escape at all times. Learn the basics in this article, and then get ready
to poke some holes in your coop.

Guess the Amount Of Eggs & Win!
As part of our eggciting 5th Annual Easter Hatch-A-Long we have a
bunch of wonderful contests. The first one is the “Guess How Many
Eggs Will Be Set” contest! It’s easy: Just pick a number of eggs you
think will be set by our members and if your guess is the closest then
you’ll win a $25 AmazonGift Card!


Win a New Coop for Your Crew!
Now through April 30, 2014, enter the Nutrena

Farm Team Challenge
sweepstakes for a chance to win a new chicken coop, live pullet chicks,
free Nutrena® Poultry Feed or Happy Hen Treats, and other great
prizes awarded weekly. To enter and earn a money-saving coupon for
Nutrena

feed, go to FarmTeamChallenge.com.


Hot Topics on BYC

• DIY Cabinet Cooler Incubator
• Cleaning Routine Brooder and Beyond
• Help! My chicken ate rat bait!
• Normal Flock Size?
• Shhh- Top Secret!
• What are you waiting for? What did you just receive?
• Poop Experts, Please!
• Does anyone else Free Range?
• Cheap egg cartons

 

[BYC Support]

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April 2014

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Need Help Choosing a Chicken Breed?
Spring is that time of year when thousands of people worldwide are adding new chicks to their flock. Are you basing your chicken breed decision on temperament, looks, egg-laying-productivity, or some combo? Check out our database of chicken breeds to choose the best match and ask questions in the chicken breeds section of our forum.

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10 Health Precautions for Chicken Owners
Most chicken owners need only wash their hands after interacting with their flock. However, those with suppressed immune systems, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other conditions are more susceptible to illness and should be extra cautious after handling their flock. Check out this article for more information.

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Cutest Baby Fowl Pic Contest
Want to win a Brinsea incubator? Our 5th Annual Easter Hatch-A-Long is well underway with hundreds of eggs being incubated. We also have some exciting contests including our Cutest Baby Fowl Photo Contest. Come view the tons of current cute submissions and submit your pictures!

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Give Your Babies a Good Start in Life
Manna Pro offers both medicated and non-medicated Chick Starter to nourish the growth of baby chicks while addressing their unique health concerns. Both varieties contain 18% protein and are fortified with essential vitamins. Enter today for a chance to win a bag of Chick Starter in either variety!
Hot Topics on BYC

• April Fools 2014 - Increase Chicken Broodiness By Up To 48% With Aluminum Foil
• Dr. Who, Chickens, and a $40 coop
• Help, moving chicks outside
• Today's egg count! What's yours?
• Best chicken for the apocalypse?
• Do I help my eggs? Day 22
• Can a critter take eggs without breaking them?
• I NEED CHICKEN NAMES FAST!
• Can you train a dog to not hurt your chickens?