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I have a few things to add to all of the great advice already on this thread.
1. NEVER dip a chick's beak in water to get it to drink.
2. If you need to catch or move your chickens, do it after dark, when they are roosting. Pick them up with your hands over their wings so they can't flap. They can't see well and it is so much less stressful for them than chasing in the daylight.
3. You can save clam or mussel shells to feed in place of oyster shell for calcium. Double or triple bag them in ziplocks, and wrap them in an old towel or some rags. Then run over them repeatedly with the tires of your car. Crush to desired size and give them to your chickens.

My best advice is to get yourself a motorized chicken door that works on a timer. Its such a relief to not have to rush home at night - or get out of bed early in the morning - because I'm worried something will harm my girls. The door cost me about $150 but it was worth EVERY penny. I love my pet chickens and this door gives me real peace of mind.

There are a few places that sell the doors, or you can just buy the motor separately. The motor is called Add-A-Motor. My door came from: http://www.automaticchickencoopdoor.com/

I hope this helps!

My best chicken advice is make sure to predator proof your coop and run. When we first got our chickens we had no idea just how many furry and feathered animals were out there trying to EAT them! We live in a suburban area and have coyotes,raccoons,hawks,possum, and fox on an almost daily basis. Realize that when you get these babies that you will have to let them out every morning and lock the door every night! Acoop with an encolsed run is ideal! My other piece of advice is make sure you don't mind losing all grass where you let them run. A moveable coop with run will eliminate the bare spots and the chickens will be much happier!
Chickens are wonderful pets and are well worth the work!

I'll offer my best advice as "warnings" to folks new to chickens - especially those with baby chicks:

When you look in the brooder and they are all dead, do not have a heart attack yet. Tap the side of the brooder first - the chicks will wake up. They just fall asleep like that. Sometimes on their backs, or with their heads across stuff in the brooder (like laying their heads on the chopping block). They DO look dead, but they're just asleep.

When you pick up a chick and feel a tumor on its neck, do not panic then, either. That's a full crop. The chicks are piggies and will stuff themselves. That crop will empty over night and be all normal again in the morning. Not tumors. Whew!

When you see one or another chick on its side, kicking and twitching, it is NOT having a seizure. It may even flap its wings and roll over onto its other side to do it some more. This is dust bathing behavior in the brooder bedding. Perfectly normal. And very silly looking once you know what it is, which is NOT a seizure. Trust me.

And a bonus, fourth warning: You will fall in love with them. This will not change even when they grow up into chickens and start to lay eggs. You will love them more. And I bet you will do a great big dance and run excitedly into the house, screaming with delight when the first one lays her first egg.

Welcome to the wonderful world of keeping chickens!

We are organic farmers and our chickens love it. All of our kitchen scraps that are fruit or vegetable go to the chickens. They like breads too. I also give them all the grubs and bugs that I get out of the gardens and some fresh herbs for a treat. Oranges and Apples are great in the winter. They also appreciate some fresh greens in the winter. Even a bag of salad greens that is getting past its prime makes a tasty chicken treat.

mochilee said:

Yes, exactly right! Use if up, wear it out, make it do, do without still applies today. And I would LOVE a picture of that clothes dryer coop!

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What a great saying! I've never heard it before.

mochilee said:

Yes, exactly right! Use if up, wear it out, make it do, do without still applies today. And I would LOVE a picture of that clothes dryer coop!

Click to expand...

I'm glad you agree! Here's a picture of the clothes dryer coop. It isn't the prettiest but I think it's an awesome idea! It could probably much better with some effort.

I'm showing that to my husband. We are junking a stove soon and I keep looking at it and trying to come up with an idea. Might be a bit much for him. My grandfather had a whole collection of old chest freezers that he used as worm farms. (No appliance left behind.)

Your advise is good but I'd add to no5 is how many chickens can you physicaly take care of. While I don't have chickens now,
due to various health probemsmy family has had them in the past. I do try to read as much as I can, but I use a wheelchair to get around.. I need to figure out the best way to design the facilities that allow me acces to take care of my birds and protect myself from infection?

Your advise is good but I'd add to no5 is how many chickens can you physicaly take care of. While I don't have chickens now,
my family has had them in the past. I do try to read as much as I can, but, due to health problems I use a wheelchair to get around.. I need to figure out the best way to design the facilities that allow me acces to take care of my birds and protect myself from infection?