Things You Wish You Would Have Known?

[BrownFamFlock]

I use Probios powder. I think I got it at Tractor Supply, but it is available on Amazon as well. I thought I read somewhere to use probiotics every other week, or at least to give their gut a break for periods of time, so I give it every other week. One container has lasted me quite a while.

 

[henny1129]

yes on the Buff Orpingtons, I'm chicken sitting a few for a friend and I am definately going to get some they are the most amazing mothers! A raven was hovering and she just fluffed up and the chicks ran under her and she waited in that position for about 20 minutes after the raven flew away.

I LOVE Buff Orpingtons! Ours are super broody at times, but aren't one of the super mean ones when they are broody. If we had a rooster I'd probably let them hatch a few eggs, but we don't have a rooster.....That's amazing about what the mother did with her chicks!

 

[Happy Quack]

They will make holes wherever you don't want them to. Like your garden or flower bed. The also get into your ducks feed and throw in everywhere.

 

[MultipleAnimals]

[COLOR=4B0082]Here's just a couple of things that I kinda learned along the way.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Keep all food in (walmart = cheap) storage bins.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Diatomaceous Earth keeps hens bug free and eggs poop free, And the coop bug free.

Your chickens Will use a cobra mister from Home Depot and it is worth 12 bucks to keep your girls cool. Turn it on super low. Won't use much water at all.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]10 Bucks sells a rooster all day long on craigslist.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Golden Eagles will EAT your chickens. If you free range, lots of hiding spots is crucial.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Fowl Pox (chicken pox) is black spots all over the comb and waddles. Your chickens eye's may bug out. [/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Neighbor's dogs digging under your fence may be a big problem. [/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]When your chickens are your pets, losing them can be quite upsetting. The joy of seeing them walk around my yard keeps me keeping chickens.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Corn heats up your girls. DON'T feed them this on hot days.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Layer feed is not good for your roosters. Get Grower and supplement with oyster shell in a separate dish.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]You don't need grit if you free range.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Modified Plastic storage bins with a wire mesh top make great brooder boxes. Hang your feeder and water. Have a chick box, teenager box and a out door chick run with bird away netting on top for an easy transition to the coop. Home Depot sells any supply you will need on the cheap.[/COLOR] [COLOR=2F4F4F]Roosters Growl! They also protect your flock. And... they like lots of sex. [/COLOR] I knock him off the girls when I'm around. It's a sign of dominance. Show's who's boss! My view from my kitchen window.

What's a Teenager Box?

 

[RollerDerbyLexi]

So basically I took a 40 gallon tote that the chicks can enter themselves and I can lock up at night. Here i threw netting on top cause it was hot out and they were safe on the back porch. The box lid locks and I used wire to lock them in at night.

'
We drilled holes in the top to allow for air and the back has a predator proof metal screen.

Here is my teenager pen in the big girls range. I just put the box in and they entered it at night.

I locked them up at night and they even made it through a couple of rainy nights in the box.


This pict has my brooder box on the wagon. I put chicken wire on the lid to have good circulation for the kids.

 

[Gnarled Carrots]

Oh what I wish I'd known before getting chickens! Although I'd probably still make the same mistakes again, because learning with chickens is oh so much fun

Anyway, my top 10 pieces of advice for new chicken parents are:

1. Chicken math is real. Everyone will say it and no one heads the warning at first! But, once you get chickens, you'll always want more. My first time I wanted 3, but ended up with 6. My second I wanted 6, but ended up with 9. I'm already planning on what my next brood will be. As well as the next goat...and alpaca. And maybe some quail...

2. Always, always, always build a larger coop/run than you think that you'll need! You'll either end up with more chickens (chicken math!) or your chickens will be happier with more space. Either way, building bigger is a win-win.

3. Start building the coop before you get chickens. As much as you think that you're going to want fluffy little chicks cheeping at you all day, it gets really old really fast. If nothing else, THE DUST WILL GET YOU. Chickens produce such an incredible amount of dust that will cover your entire house. Believe me, if you have allergies, you do not want that indoors!

4. A caveat to number 3: brood outdoors. Chicks are more resilient than they seem and, as afraid as I was to try to keep chicks outside, they'll thank you for it later! Outdoor brooding eliminates the need to cover up for dust, teaches them about the day/night cycle, oftentimes provides them with more space, eliminates the need for a transition outside, and gets them more quickly acclimated to what's "their territory." Also, it keeps all of the chicken dust away from your carpet and computers and nasal passages.

5. Don't be afraid of hatcheries! I've heard so many horror stories with feed lots, backyard "dealers," chicken swaps, and auction houses. These places can be a great place to find chickens. However, they're largely unregulated and can be a breeding ground for disease. I've known people who've driven hundreds of miles to pick up their "perfect chickens" only to find out that it was too good to be true!

A lot of feed stores and feed lots also order their birds from hatcheries, so there's virtually no difference between the two. Reputable hatcheries use farmers across the country, are very good at sexing (My Pet Chicken will also sex bantams now, which is exciting!), and offer money back guarantees on fatalities during shipping and improperly sexed chicks. If you're new to chickens and are looking for a specific breed and/or sex, hatcheries are your best bet. They oftentimes have a large breed and color variety, the chickens are vaccinated (or have the option to be vaccinated for Marek's, etc.), come from NPIP verified flocks, and are reasonably priced. They can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to adhering to breed standards (I've had problems with comb type and specific feathering). However, if you're new to backyard chickens and aren't planning to show immediately, they're a great place to start!

6. RESEARCH YOUR BREED AHEAD OF TIME. I can't stress this enough. There's nothing worse than falling in love with a breed only to find that they're flighty, broody, and don't get along well with others. Although not every chicken will conform to exact breed standards and every flock is different (although handling them a lot when they're young can help with this), there are general traits that you can expect from certain breeds. After all, if you're looking for production layers, you don't want an ornamental bantam that averages 1-2 very small eggs a week! If you live in a particularly hot or cold climate, you're also going to want to make sure that your birds are heat or frost hardy.

7. Watching chickens run is the most hilarious thing ever. They're really not meant for running and rather waddle quickly...with their feet sticking out and their necks crooning in odd positions. Who wouldn't want to watch them run all day?

8. Chickens can't fly, but they can flap quite a bit! They'll take running head starts and jump in the air. They'll hop up on things to "climb" them. Even the small chickens can get themselves on top of fences! Most flocks tend to stay together, but that doesn't mean that they won't wander sometimes. I had a Belgian d'Uccle bantam hen who used to get on top of the garage, make her way into trees, and sit on top of the 8 foot concrete fence around the yard. I even found her perched on top of the molding above the back door once. At the end of the day, chickens like heights. In the wild, they roost in trees.

9. Chickens eat and poop a lot. This can oftentimes be seen as a nuisance, but I'm always excited about it! They eat your weeds, keep the grass a little bit more kept, and their poop makes great fertilizer. Right now we have a tractor coop/run. Every couple days we move it to a slightly different part of the yard. It keeps our grass looking great.
10. Chickens are heartwarmingly addictive. See number 1. Once you have them, you'll want more.

 

[ChickenLover200]

1. Don't use chicken wire on the run (it rusts quickly and doesn't keep predators out), it's better to use chain link or welded wire.

2. Don't buy a prefabricated coop. They are too small.

3. Always build bigger than what you think you need.

 

[Coop de Grass]

There would be the trouble: I had a broody hen to raise the chicks. We didn't think to use the nipples until she and her fellow hens were two, and so it's not chicks we're attempting to train but hens. Who have a way of twisting one's finger--hot day? no water? Don't expect any eggs. So I give them water because I'm a sucker for a hen's waddle.

Thus if I had known then what I know now. . . .

I also give them a bucket with probiotics when it is hot! I carry it out to them and put it in the shade We are such suckers! But they sure show their appreciation!

 

[Coop de Grass]

1. Don't use chicken wire on the run (it rusts quickly and doesn't keep predators out), it's better to use chain link or welded wire.

2. Don't buy a prefabricated coop. They are too small.

3. Always build bigger than what you think you need.

I knew that first coop was going to be too small when I bought it! It was a stop gap measure. Now it is the grow out coop for month old chicks! And the big girls live in an 7 x 8 Suncast shed that my husband adapted with a large window at floor level for the girls to look out, and an automatic chicken door. I am in charge of changing the interior as I search for the perfect plan.

I am positive that I am going to have to build on to it to make it bigger!

 

[5Sons Coop]

Oh what I wish I'd known before getting chickens! Although I'd probably still make the same mistakes again, because learning with chickens is oh so much fun 

Anyway, my top 10 pieces of advice for new chicken parents are:

1. Chicken math is real. Everyone will say it and no one heads the warning at first! But, once you get chickens, you'll always want more. My first time I wanted 3, but ended up with 6. My second I wanted 6, but ended up with 9. I'm already planning on what my next brood will be. As well as the next goat...and alpaca. And maybe some quail...

2. Always, always, always build a larger coop/run than you think that you'll need! You'll either end up with more chickens (chicken math!) or your chickens will be happier with more space. Either way, building bigger is a win-win.

3. Start building the coop before you get chickens. As much as you think that you're going to want fluffy little chicks cheeping at you all day, it gets really old really fast. If nothing else, THE DUST WILL GET YOU. Chickens produce such an incredible amount of dust that will cover your entire house. Believe me, if you have allergies, you do not want that indoors!

4. A caveat to number 3: brood outdoors. Chicks are more resilient than they seem and, as afraid as I was to try to keep chicks outside, they'll thank you for it later! Outdoor brooding eliminates the need to cover up for dust, teaches them about the day/night cycle, oftentimes provides them with more space, eliminates the need for a transition outside, and gets them more quickly acclimated to what's "their territory." Also, it keeps all of the chicken dust away from your carpet and computers and nasal passages.

5. Don't be afraid of hatcheries! I've heard so many horror stories with feed lots, backyard "dealers," chicken swaps, and auction houses. These places can be a great place to find chickens. However, they're largely unregulated and can be a breeding ground for disease. I've known people who've driven hundreds of miles to pick up their "perfect chickens" only to find out that it was too good to be true!

A lot of feed stores and feed lots also order their birds from hatcheries, so there's virtually no difference between the two. Reputable hatcheries use farmers across the country, are very good at sexing (My Pet Chicken will also sex bantams now, which is exciting!), and offer money back guarantees on fatalities during shipping and improperly sexed chicks. If you're new to chickens and are looking for a specific breed and/or sex, hatcheries are your best bet. They oftentimes have a large breed and color variety, the chickens are vaccinated (or have the option to be vaccinated for Marek's, etc.), come from NPIP verified flocks, and are reasonably priced. They can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to adhering to breed standards (I've had problems with comb type and specific feathering). However, if you're new to backyard chickens and aren't planning to show immediately, they're a great place to start!

6. RESEARCH YOUR BREED AHEAD OF TIME. I can't stress this enough. There's nothing worse than falling in love with a breed only to find that they're flighty, broody, and don't get along well with others. Although not every chicken will conform to exact breed standards and every flock is different (although handling them a lot when they're young can help with this), there are general traits that you can expect from certain breeds. After all, if you're looking for production layers, you don't want an ornamental bantam that averages 1-2 very small eggs a week! If you live in a particularly hot or cold climate, you're also going to want to make sure that your birds are heat or frost hardy.

7. Watching chickens run is the most hilarious thing ever. They're really not meant for running and rather waddle quickly...with their feet sticking out and their necks crooning in odd positions. Who wouldn't want to watch them run all day?

8. Chickens can't fly, but they can flap quite a bit! They'll take running head starts and jump in the air. They'll hop up on things to "climb" them. Even the small chickens can get themselves on top of fences! Most flocks tend to stay together, but that doesn't mean that they won't wander sometimes. I had a Belgian d'Uccle bantam hen who used to get on top of the garage, make her way into trees, and sit on top of the 8 foot concrete fence around the yard. I even found her perched on top of the molding above the back door once. At the end of the day, chickens like heights. In the wild, they roost in trees.

9. Chickens eat and poop a lot. This can oftentimes be seen as a nuisance, but I'm always excited about it! They eat your weeds, keep the grass a little bit more kept, and their poop makes great fertilizer. Right now we have a tractor coop/run. Every couple days we move it to a slightly different part of the yard. It keeps our grass looking great.
10. Chickens are heartwarmingly addictive. See number 1. Once you have them, you'll want more.   

Thanks for saving me all that typing you told my story. 3 yrs ago 64sqft coop with 200sqft run raised 1 batch of 24 Cornish cross...2 yrs ago 33 Cornish cross, 1 yr ago 15 Ladies listed below coop upgrades for eggs and winter. Since March hatched 14 quail, 45 quail eggs getting set tonight! Ordered the Spring Pups below from my trusted hatchery, but yet I am strongly considering closing my flock and only hatching my own now. Cleaned deep litter out of coop because I have to many chickens now and it doesn't crust over as well. Built an outdoor urban style coop/brooder. Built a 12' radius steel frame 200 sqft run that still needs wire. Worked on quail cages because it was raining today, built lots of feeders and waters, introduction pens, brooders. I plan to build another 125 sqft run between the old one and one that needs wire for the urban coop/brooder. I ordered 2 of the sheds pictured above just now. One for a grower coop, for the run that needs wire and one for the quail cages with leftover room being an open grower pen. Both will need venting and floors built plus assembly....so the chicken math and quail multiplication. I have 39 chickens and 14 quail. Before the next 40 quail eggs hatch in 17 days I will have approximately 270 sqft of coop space, 525 sqft of run and 60 sqft of quail cages and as many birds as I can hatch as soon as the young roo matures and the quail start laying......leg bands!!! Have to go need to research leg bands never used them before and soon I am going to forget who is who.....little busy later BYC.