What members are most experienced with chickens

[chicken vet girl]

Thanks @aart. That's a big help!

 

[aart]

Thanks @aart. That's a big help!

So, are you a vet?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Nope.
Members can make recommendations/nominations, but staff decides who gets awarded.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-recognition-medals.1214207/

You could search thru lists on post linked above.

Curriculum Vitae
Your CV would include where you were educated to earn the title 'vet'.

 

[Blooie]

You’ve been given excellent advice. Your job is to ferret out what specifically you’re wanting answers to then choose the solutions that best fit your situation and your own personal comfort zone.

For instance, if you go out to the coop and one of your chickens is sick or injured, especially if it was fine hours ago or yesterday, get thee over to the Emergencies, Illnesses and Injuries forum and start a new thread, with a specific hint in your title besides “Help” or “Hurt Chicken”. As has been well pointed out, that’s not as likely to get immediate assistance as “I Think My Chicken Broke Her Leg” will. If you want to ask about raising chicks or brooder setups, then Raising Baby Chicks is where you’ll start.

Don’t forget the “search” option. Rather than wading through post after post, hit that Search tab, type in what you want to find, and lists of posts dealing with that issue will pop up. That can really save precious time and often some confusion.

And finally, I, too, would advise against focusing on titles. All of us, from newbie to old timer, have something to offer. More than once a brand new member has started a thread that has been infinitely helpful, such as the amazing woman who was losing chickens right and left and posed her question. Turns out Teflon poisoning from her heat lamp was the culprit, and goodness only knows how many chickens her question and subsequent solutions have saved. Many of those who helped her (or were just there out of curiosity) have since helped others - and some did not have a single title under their avatar. It’s what we do here, and I think we do it better than any place else!

 

[chicken vet girl]

Has anyone else noticed that a chicken's temperature fluctuates depending on whether it's summer or winter? My chickens range 104.5-107.5 in the summer and 103-105 in the winter. Just wondering if it's actually normal.

 

[Tesumph]

Has anyone else noticed that a chicken's temperature fluctuates depending on whether it's summer or winter? My chickens range 104.5-107.5 in the summer and 103-105 in the winter. Just wondering if it's actually normal.

Yes... it is normal to be hotter in the summer and colder in the winter.

Are you a vet or are you hoping to be in the future?

 

[Barbs Girls]

It's not who is most experienced, it is more who has experience in what you are trying to do. We all have our own reasons for having chickens, our own climates, facilities, goals, flock make-ups, management techniques, different risk tolerance, just so many unique things. Someone keeping four hens in a tiny urban backyard coop for eggs might be different from someone keeping a flock with multiple roosters and hens raising chicks for meat free ranging in a rural location. Someone breeding chickens for show might have different priorities than someone keeping a few chickens for pets. Someone keeping chickens in Miami might need to house them differently than someone in Calgary. One of your challenges on here is to find someone who's experience actually applies to what you want to do and your situation.

Don't go by likes or number of posts. Maybe someone racks up a lot of posts by playing games or they are on here more for the social aspects, it can be a friendly place.

Some people apologize for having a post of more than 140 characters. Don't do that. If you are asking a question many of us appreciate enough background information so we know what you are asking. If you are new you probably won't know what information is critical, if you did you probably would not need to ask the question. So if someone asks a question, answer them. Be willing to communicate with people.

When you start a new thread, put enough information in the title to attract the people you want to read it. A title of "Help" doesn't do much good. A title of "Looking for hatching eggs" is better, bur best is "Looking for hatching eggs - Perth Australia". That way someone in Kenya knows hey don't need to pay much attention to it, but someone in Perth may open it that would not otherwise.

Modify your profile to show your general location. That way the information is always available. Just knowing whether you are north or south of the equator can help with a lot of questions. It can help us with climate. If you are in the States it doesn't help for someone to tell you to go to a UK store to get something specific. Something as simple as us knowing your general location can greatly improve our conversation.

If someone tells you that you absolutely have to do something the exact way they say or you are guaranteed disaster, that you don't love your chicks unless you do it their way, get a second opinion if you can. In practically everything there are many different ways to do about anything that work that you are not locked into one specific way that might not apply to you anyway. Read everything you read on here (including what I say) with a touch of skepticism. Think about what people say to see if you think it applies to you.

Never be afraid to ask a question, even if you are sure it has been asked many times before. We all have to start somewhere. No matter how simple or basic the question, someone else is wondering the same thing. Wouldn't it be a shame if your chickens got hurt because you were afraid to ask a question? Use the search feature on here, try to find an answer. That is a good thing to do. But if people only asked questions that have never been asked before this forum would dry up for lack of posts. Besides, previously asked questions are often the easiest to answer.

Follow this link. It's an introduction to the forum and can help you get around.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/forum-welcome-please-read-these-items-☺.1174603/

Probably not the response you were looking for but hopefully you can get something useful out of it. And welcome to the forum.

This is such great, practical advice/ thank you for sharing!!

 

[WVduckchick]

 

[CannedMonster]

No I'm not a vet. Future hopes though

Vets who will see poultry are very much needed and appreciated.
Much luck to you!
As you spend time on BYC and read posts and do searches and post some of your own, you will get a feel for those who know what they’re talking about and be able to separate the bs from the legit.
People do things in different ways but we all have to decide what’s best for our own flocks.

 

[bobbi-j]

Vets who will see poultry are very much needed and appreciated.
Much luck to you!
As you spend time on BYC and read posts and do searches and post some of your own, you will get a feel for those who know what they’re talking about and be able to separate the bs from the legit.
People do things in different ways but we all have to decide what’s best for our own flocks.

And that is the most practical advice of all!