Chicken Confessional: I'm a little scared!

[castillo_de_luz]

Awwww. I am sure you will be fine and learn to love them as we all did.
I got chickens by accident and had never interacted with a live chicken. I ended up with these pullets in a tote in my garage and a sort of coop in the yard. I had no idea how to transport them from the garage to the coop. I had no idea how to pick one up or hold it (thank goodness for YouTube!). Did they fly? Would they try and escape?
They wormed their way into my heart because having consulted the internet on how to hold them I managed to pick one up and carry it over to the coop. The others immediately jumped out of their tote and followed me, chatting to me the whole way.
What was not to love!

I am guessing you haven't yet got your chickens? Have you decided the basics of your set up? I found things like the coop build and discussion of deep litter etc. on this forum amazingly helpful for me to figure out how to care for them.

Good luck - and never be afraid to ask questions here.

Oh yes, I'll be relying on the internet to instruct me in how to handle them -- day 1 will be bringing them home in a box on an hour-long drive, so we'll have uh bonding time?

These forums and a few other sources are SO valuable and I've learned a whole lot that I could absolutely never have understood otherwise. Usually I search my questions and turn up a treasure trove of useful information!

 

[castillo_de_luz]

I remember the first time I lost a bird I liked to a predator. The fox had taken the head and neck, and had opened a gash on her back, exposing her insides. I was very shaken up after that. I had had chickens for a couple of years at that point, so I was certain that I did not want to stop keeping them; the worry of going through that again was very prevalent, however. I can understand why one would want to quit after that.

The way I see it, you've had birds inside your house, you've had cats inside your house. "What if I hate it" applies to those animals as well. The fact that you've enjoyed animals in general points to the fact that you'll probably enjoy chickens. Just like the other animals you've had, if you do indeed find them too much, you can rehome them. Or unlike most pets, you can also eat them.
Get the birds first, worry later. I'm betting that by the time the first "bad" moment comes, you will have already decided chickens are worth itView attachment 3750618

I think my city brain draws a line between domesticated pets and... barnyard animals? But you're right, I do care for animals and I didn't know anything before I had my first. "Birds first worry later" feels like advice I needed a few months ago

Can we pause for a minute and just admire the stunning creature in your photo? I can't have roos but my GOD what a magnificent beast. I'm also distracted by the flower that to my eyes looks exotic and wonderful. Thank you for the eye candy!

 

[castillo_de_luz]

In a world full of craziness, this forum is an oasis of endless information on domestic birds. I am a city kid as well, and never handled, let alone raise chickens before April of 2023. We dove in with both feet, good or bad. Our initial flock was and continues to be 12 ladies. We raised them from 1 day old. Last summer was especially hot, we cooled them and gave frozen treats (watermelon and peaches mostly). This winter was historically cold and I brought them oatmeal with cyan and cinnamon in it. We have been caring, friendly and kind to our ladies and they have given us the most amazing eggs. They are delicious! We care for them, talk to them and enjoy the time we spend with them. I genuinely hope you find as much enjoyment out of this forum and your flock as we do.

Your story is what I'm trying so hard to picture as my own! Just getting into it and providing care and love to get eggs and chicken-love in return. I'm going to hold this image in my heart when I get stressed. Thank you!

 

[castillo_de_luz]

This forum has been an incredible resource for me. People here are extremely helpful and ready to answer any questions you have at almost anytime. And they are very patient about it. I have never had my head bitten off for asking "obvious" questions or questions that I have come to see in the past several months that everyone has.

No matter how much research you do, you will still have questions, because, not unlike people, chickens are rarely textbook. My favorite thing is there quizzical and comical personalities - that also makes life with them unpredictable, but fun. But, if something goes sideways, be sure to ask.

Your research does make it more likely you will succeed because you care enough to learn before endeavoring to take it on. Kudos! You will rock this!

I agree, probably I'd never even make the attempt without this forum to provide the backbone of support and knowledge. What an incredible community we have here.

In the few times I've been around chickens (and my across-street neighbors have some, but I don't know them well enough to knock) I find them to be HILARIOUS. Something about the clucks and head bobs just makes me laugh. Hopefully that persists when I have a few of my own!

 

[TaylorGlade]

I agree, probably I'd never even make the attempt without this forum to provide the backbone of support and knowledge. What an incredible community we have here.

In the few times I've been around chickens (and my across-street neighbors have some, but I don't know them well enough to knock) I find them to be HILARIOUS. Something about the clucks and head bobs just makes me laugh. Hopefully that persists when I have a few of my own!

Almost a year into this and I still find something to be amazed at every day

 

[Happy hen lover]

I'm aware that I can eat them, but as pets, that solution isn't viable.

Good rule I read here: I don't eat my pets, nor do I name my food .

I've only been in this for 3 years myself. Yes I was about 25% scared. I think we all were at first. I had done research and watched all kids of videos. I changed the design on coop 3 times! Poor hubby
This is a great forum with amazingly helpful, patient folks. I have learned so much here. I've Learned about designing coops, predator proofing, bedding choices, ventilation, poop management, feed choices, care of chicks, and yes even sick chickens.

You will do fine with chickens you have pets already. You'll fall in love and find out they're calming goofballs, that are just as individually different as cats. Some will love you, some will just be good layers no guarantees.
If you have questions or injuries just ask we have some that are sickness experts that will chime in with great advice.
1. Predator proof before starting. Make sure your coop and run are big enough go bigger if in question. (Rats, etc)
2. Getting a first aid kit will help with common illnesses if local places are far away.
Dive in to the articles section here.

 

[Birdinhand]

Your anxiety is perfectly natural, it’s a good sign even, that you are a caring person who takes the shepherding of an animal seriously. This forum is very useful for hearing all sorts of applied ideas and their outcomes. You are asking for advice, so I’ll give you mine, but ultimately you will have to carve your own path and make decisions based on your unique situations, priorities and resources.

I would recommend starting right. Being willing to invest some hundreds of dollars into making a truly secure coop. Many people jump into it thinking they can fix a predator problem “if” one arises. Unfortunately, waiting for the problem to develop results in a much bigger problem, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in this case. The question isn’t if a predator will find your hens, but rather how long it will take. sometimes its years, if you are lucky, but it eventually arises and often befalls your favorite pet or happens at the absolute worse time, leading to anxious nites full of fear that the animal will come back (it often does) and kill more, or you may find yourself watching in horror as one of your precious animal friends suffers a slow and miserable end as you attempt to nurse it.

The key is building the coop with predators in mind. In my experience the common denominator is rats. If you build to keep them out, you’ll keep everything else out. Framing out the coop and enveloping the entire thing with Hardware cloth, 1”x1/2”, well secured to the framing with “u” nails, even across the bottom, before adding the roof and siding will take care of virtually any predator that causes the real issues, be it rat, neighborhood dog, coyotes raccoon. The next most important thing is covering and securing the run. Some folks feel that the loss of life of free ranging is worth it for the improved quality of life. That argument goes both ways, one could say it’s cruel to leave such a defenseless thing as a chicken exposed to the wild. There’s not a correct answer, but I do recommend you be realistic as you think it through. I opt for protection and a large covered run. I have bald eagles, hawks, coyotes, raccoons, possums and neighborhood dogs…and it rains a lot 6 months a year, so secured covered run it is for me, wall to wall hardware cloth. I used to free range, have lost dozens of chickens to predators. Since going Fort Knox on coop design, over 8 years ago, I have not lost a single chicken to predators. So there you have it, some advice, but do what makes sense to you, I don’t expect any two people to raise chickens exactly the same way.

 

[CloneFly]

I hope some of you experienced chicken keepers can remember all the way back to your first foray into the world of chickens and perhaps sympathize with how I'm feeling. Or maybe I'm nuts.

I'm a born and raised city and suburban dweller -- I've never been on a horse, held a baby goat, milked a cow, or umm interacted with chickens. Ever. My childhood pets were fish, a pet store parakeet, and indoor cats (and my current household is run by one precious Maine Coon cat).

As the house hunt shifted from a small condo or townhouse to a real SFH on some land, I started thinking about chickens. Fresh eggs. Great compost for a new veggie garden. So when we moved to this 1-acre property last year, I knew it was time to get serious and make a plan for a small flock.

I've probably done more research than most would consider healthy, and fortunately have access to real live human friends who are longtime chicken people and have provided real-world information too. I think I'm as prepared as anyone can possibly be at this point, T-minus 49 days from picking up 5 Dominique pullets.

As excited and happy as I usually am, there's a part of me that's terrified of taking this whole thing on. What if I hate it? What if I can't tolerate all the poop and cleaning? What if we get a rat infestation? What if the birds get super sick, or hurt, or killed in some horrific way? I understand intellectually that any of these things could happen, but unlike other areas of my life, I have no previous experience in dealing with this. I'm not overly squeamish about some things, but disgusting smells or a mauled bird... I don't know how I'd react to that.

This whole post is really just to say that I'm 70% excited to begin the chicken adventure but 30% horrified at the many possible forms of misery this entire undertaking could produce. And believe it or not, this is considered progress in "well-managed anxiety" for me!

Words of advice? Sanity check? Anyone else felt/feel this way, or have a different personal tale to add to the Chicken Confessional? (Corn-fessional?)

I literally got thrown into chickens, but yes, I know the feeling well.

Everyday is a learning process, and while there will be losses, in the end I doubt you'll ever regret bringing them home You're eventually going to meet that one special chicken that'll hop on your lap or follow you around pecking your leg demanding treats and that'll make up for all the difficulty you may encounter. Seeing as you're already worried about them and have dedicated time to learning all you can, I'm sure you're going to do great! Don't stress about problems that haven't happened yet- they might never happen or something else that you didn't expect may suddenly appear, but it's all part of the experience!

 

[JedJackson]

You've done your homework and have support. Now it's just a matter of figuring out if you enjoy keeping chickens or not, and that you will have to judge for yourself.

Yes, things can go wrong. But they can go wrong with any kind of animal. Pet fish die, some cats turn out to be vicious, and dogs can run away. The best we can do is to take all the precautions we can and apply due diligence, and you're doing that.

If you are getting pullets, I assume they are old enough to go outside. So focus on predator proofing their coop/run, making it easy to clean, and knowing the right feed to give them and when. Those are the main things.

Honestly, once their poop dries, it's not too unpleasant to deal with. You might want to do some reading on poop boards and the deep litter method, which makes great compost over time.

Best of luck!

 

[fluffycrow]

I think my city brain draws a line between domesticated pets and... barnyard animals? But you're right, I do care for animals and I didn't know anything before I had my first. "Birds first worry later" feels like advice I needed a few months ago

Can we pause for a minute and just admire the stunning creature in your photo? I can't have roos but my GOD what a magnificent beast. I'm also distracted by the flower that to my eyes looks exotic and wonderful. Thank you for the eye candy!

You're totally right to make a distinction between farm animals and indoor, pet animals. As you stated however, your chickens will also be your "pets". That doesn't make them identical at all compared to say a dog, but when it comes to rehoming, it's the same process (if not way easier). If caring for them doesn't feel good, doesn't feel right, you can rehome them and that's that. I have a feeling that you won't regret getting them, however. I've never met anyone who dives so deep into something and ends up not liking it; if anything, you already know about what could go wrong, and for you to be getting them, it means that you've already decided that chickens are worth the trouble. Now sit back and impatiently wait for the day you get yours!

Thank you so much for your huge compliment! This guy is the oldest of my (now) many boys. He doesn't like me quite as much as I like him, but we make it work, and he's wonderful with his girls, which is what's important to me. The plant in that photo is an artichoke flower, they look very cool indeed!