Yardbirds Backyard Chickens 101 AND *new* 102 classes this month!

Gypsylion

Songster
12 Years
Apr 30, 2009
459
89
246
Massachusetts
Hi all! My next Yardbirds Backyard Chickens 101 class will be THIS SUNDAY at 3pm, in partnership with and on behalf of the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP), one of our state's fantastic regional small-ag support organizations. Feel free to share the info with anyone you know who is taking the backyard chicken plunge this year and would like a thorough overview and summary of all the info out there.

In this class I'll be talking in-depth about coop design, breed choices, overview of basic care, and including a lot of info on how to prevent common backyard chicken issues and challenges for the new (or relatively new) chicken-owner, so if you're planning your coop for this year or next, or you've already started the process and want to check in about your plans, this is the class for you! See the Facebook event here for registration info, and I look forward to seeing you online!

For those who don't have access to facebook, the online registration for Yardbirds 101 this Sunday can be found here:
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=jp7zj6bab&oeidk=a07eh376lgje6954773

AND, two weeks later for the first time ever, I'll be teaching a NEW version of my course that is geared towards folks who have already had chickens for a little while: Yardbirds 102! If you've had your flock since last year or longer, join us again on Sunday, May 31st at 3pm to troubleshoot health or behavior issues, talk through coop upgrade ideas and logistics, learn my method for easily integrating new birds into an existing flock, and learn how to do my Yardbirds Health Check to catch some common health issues you might not otherwise notice.

Here is the FB event for Yardbirds 102, or you can register for the class directly at the following link:
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=jp7zj6bab&oeidk=a07eh378mfpe40ec986

If you can't make either of these, I'll likely be doing at least one more series in June, so stay tuned on the Yardbirds FB page or website for more info on other upcoming events.

Note that both of these events are FREE to register (I usually charge $25 per person for my online classes), with any donations you choose to give going directly to SEMAP to help support their great work.

For a little on my credentials, for those who might wonder:
The abbreviated version is lifetime of animal-ness including 5 yrs as a vet tech, 2 degrees in wildlife ecology (plus publications, including one on backyard chickens), and a lifetime of teaching starting as a kid teaching riding lessons and recently including a few years as an adjunct at a few colleges in Boston. Now I've been keeping chickens for over 10 yrs and during that time have consulted for nearly 200 urban and suburban coops (and over 1000 birds) in the Boston area through my Yardbirds Backyard Chickens business, plus helped half a dozen towns write their zoning laws including the first Urban Ag-focused ordinance in the state, so I bring to the table a lifetime of animal care years and hundreds of coops' worth of experience of what tends to work and what doesn't.

I recommend checking out my website "About Us" page or my blog for a little more detail, or send me an email and I'd be glad to chat more about it! http://www.yardbirdsbackyardchickens.com/about-us
 
This is really cool! I just read through your website and also the Urban garden guide for your town. Pretty neat☺

Thanks!! So glad to be able to offer helpful info, and please let me know if you have any questions!

Note that depending on which town you're referring to some of my recommendations may have been updated since it was published. For example, the Somerville, MA one was way back in my early days of chicken consulting, and I have increased my run size recommendations by quite a bit since then... (I currently recommend at least 12-15 sq ft per bird of enclosed, covered outdoor space, and note that the relationship isn't linear; i.e. a larger flock size can lean towards fewer sq ft/bird, where a smaller flock size should absolutely aim for the higher end.)

Signing up!

YAY! Thank you, and I look forward to "seeing" you there! :D
 
Hi all! My next Yardbirds Backyard Chickens class is THIS SUNDAY at 3pm via zoom. This one is the first-ever "YBC 201", where I'll cover topics appropriate for folks who have had their flock for a bit and are ready for the next level of info, including common health issues to look for, injury treatment, and my YBC health check; helpful coop upgrades; my method for introducing new birds to an existing flock; the realities of options for older hens once they aren't laying as much; plus discussion of whatever other questions you have! (We'll be covering a bit of the basic info too, so while geared towards year-two folks there will still be some good info for newbies too).

This class is #2 of 2 I'm giving on behalf of the SE Mass Ag Partnership, and is FREE! Please check the link below to register and reserve your seat in the zoom room, and/or spread the word if you think this may be helpful info for others.

Here is the FB event and SEMAP event page for more info and to register.

Thank you, and Happy Chickening!
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