[fourmoon]

 :)Hi everyone I have just found your site and have been reading your thread.  I am new to chicken keeping,  have not got my chickens yet but will be getting them soon.  Any advice would be most welcome. 

best wishes

fourmoon

[helens-hens]

Hi fourmoon and welcome to the site. I am relatively new to keeping hens (started April last year) but think it is 1 of the best things I have ever done.

I would start by reading up as much as you can on the subject. Have you got a hen house yet and planned where you are going to keep them yet and how many and what type of hens you are going to keep?

[Bonniebean]

Hello fourmoon and welcome! As helenshens said definitely read as much as you can. If you use the search box at the top right with key words you will get lots of answers to questions, also the main menu has lots of help with advice from experienced chicken keepers. We were all apprehensive to start with but keep reading the threads and it will start to make sense!

[orchardlady]

All of the above. Also approach chicken keeping with a practical attitude. It's not rocket science and hens are very easy to keep. You will make mistakes but learn from them for next time. Keep looking at this forum there are many people with plenty of experience who will treat even the seemingly silly question with attention and kindness. You hens will bring you much joy and laughter but like any animal will also bring you sadness to. Most of all enjoy your birds. They are fascinating, entertaining and a wonderful pass time.

Goo luck and happy hen keeping.

OL

[jinty1911]

Be prepared to get addicted.  Just ordered my eggs for April.  Yahoo     

[bantam novice]

Hello there, fourmoon, welcome to the forum and the wacky world of henaholics 
Prepare to become a fellow addict!

I would agree that reading up is a good idea but at some stage you will have to take a deep breath and get your first hens.  There are lots of good experienced people here to give you advice.

 I would just say make sure that you have enough space for your hens to roam and make sure that you protect against redmite, lice, worms etc.  You can find threads on these by typing into the search box. 

I would get point of lay hens to begin with.  It is tempting to get ex-battery hens; however, they can have all kinds of health problems and need experienced looking after.


Have fun and good luck 

[Pol]

Hi fournoon and welcome,
I agree read all you can on them and yes be prepared to get addicted

[fourmoon]

 :)Thanks everyone for info.  I have got my coup and we have just finished building the run.  Its quite large.  I have ordered 5 chicken from a nice lady breeder who lives not far from me POL 3 RIR and 2 Welsummer.

I am apprehensive but looking forward to getting them.

Best wishes

fourmoon

[Jeanette]

Find a good chickens vet and keep the telephone number where you can find it. Hopefully you will never need it but if something does happen you will know where to go to for some help.

[bantam novice]

Good luck with your girls and take some pics when they arrive.   
I would agree about finding a chicken friendly vet.  Not all are.

[joyfull]

hello fourmoon - not sure where you are from as it doesn't say under your name (just click on your profile to put it in) but take a look at this link:-

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=26140.0

there may be a poultry friendly vet near you, if not ring around all your local vets and ask them (I pointed out to mine that they are missing out on a load of customers as chicken keeping is the fastest growing hobby - mine now has 3 specialists 1 of which is a specialists for local turkey and chicken farmers so very experienced  ) .

[fourmoon]

 :)i everyone,

Thanks for that,  I will phone around and find out hopefully there is one in the area.  I have just put up the coup I was thinking that I would give it another coat of wood preserver while I can.  Can I use any or is their one especially for chicken coups or one that is chicken friendly.