Common Mistakes Poultry Keepers Make (And How to Fix Them)

many of these things are basic and fundamental in poultry raising, surprising how many people dont realize these things, yet they are ...... OH SO VERY IMPORTANT. thank you for the article.

I NEED ALL THE INPUT I CAN GET so thank YOU and this community for helping me not completely lose my mind

Would add a few things:
1) Take time to pick up your chicken poop inspect it for worms and blood. Then take action immediately, if needed.
2) Get informed on things like "Lash Eggs", vent gleet, soft shelled eggs, bumble foot, water belly, Coccidia, worms, mites, etc. and how to address those issues - see article for how to be prepared with a first aid kit. I really love manuka honey in the kit!
That said... get educated but don't fret. For example, I read that lash egg is almost always fatal. This caused me incredible grief when my favorite hen gifted me with a very large lash egg. Three months later my hen is doing great and back to laying more beautiful eggs than ever. I pampered her and treated her lash egg with herbs (oregano big time). Be a renaissance chicken mama and learn from online forums such as Backyard Chickens, but be smart about what you read.
3) Befriend your chickens early on as that makes it so much easier when you have to get personal with them - for example, they will trust you when you have to clean their butt and treat for vent gleet (a lot easier to do on a friendly hen than on one who is scared to death of you).
4) Pe prepared to separate a hen that is ill - keep a large box, dog crate, large feed bin on hand - it's a lot harder to scrounge this up in the moment.
5) find a way to elevate your chicken water to keep it clean and be prepared to change out the water often (clean your waterer with soap and water versus just rinsing it to reduce mold and bacteria). Even elevated, we clean our water sources up to three times a day in summer heat - no one likes to drink hot water when it's hot, so best to keep it in the shade.
6) stick with a feed that works well for you and/or hens - changing your main feed is stressful to your hens - don't follow the sales for cheapest feed as that will cost you and your chickens in the long run (pun).
7) Get educated on what NOT to feed your hens - no citrus, no onions or onion derivatives, no raw green potatoes, no raw peanuts, etc. There are so many lists online of "bad foods for chickens" for you to review. If your chicks are not ready for grit they should only get chick starter as they will not be able to digest greens and other things that require grit to digest (chick grit is smaller than chicken grit).
8) Be prepared to have your heart completely absorbed in your hens as they are the most fun, interesting, smart, and baffling pets I have ever had. At the same time, they have likely saved me thousands in therapy as there is no way to come out of a run without a big smile on your face (unless you are dealing with a sick hen and then it's not a great day). Here's to your happy, healthy flock!

Thank you for the information. It is thoughtful and a good place to start. It is imperative that everyone do their homework and research before setting out on this journey. Sometimes you have to step out in faith on who you source your birds/eggs from. For a newbie like me, everyone is suspect until you jump in. Since Covid, it was very hard for me to even find a source of chicks. I ended up with a large distributor after trying to find a local. It all worked out in the end.

Great article introducing the common mistakes made in raising chickens! Love the links included with the article!

Such an important article. Thank you. I have a small enough flock (eight chickens) I can observe them well. These tips add to my list of what to look out for.

Loved reading this, a lot of things I wish I had done were on here. Especially (a) getting a good coop at the beginning/having one too small and (b) emergency first aid kit. I remember when Ponyo, my sisters Rhode Island Red, got really sick (she unfortunately passed) and the people on here were amazing and super helpful, but I didn't have the supplies on hand, including Nutri-Drench, aquarium tubing (for tube feeding her) and tons of other things. Had lots of good information, I liked the links attached, and the article was engaging.

Great article. It ticks many boxes to keep in mind. Especially for newbies, but it’s also interesting read for experienced chicken keepers.

Thanks BYC manager for putting this article in the spotlight.

All very true info, the pictures are nice. I have found out the hard way with some of these things, so I am glad that there are articles out there like this so others will not make the same mistakes!

Good info. Needs more editing.

All the things I should have known before I bought chickens. Do it correctly right from the beginning. It’s waaaay easier than fixing all the mistakes.

Good information for a new chicken keeper like myself.

Wonderful article for new flock owners! Thank you for taking the time to share knowledge and experience with others.

Good advice.

Good article!

Good points about common mistakes people make.

Great tips!

Good points for chicken raising!

I especially like the size and quality of coop information. I’m always upset to see how many people have small dingy coops. Even people who advertise eggs or chickens for sale have no shame in showing pictures revealing horrible conditions- coops covered in manure. No hay or bedding anywhere.