Chicken Confessional: I'm a little scared!

[Evadig]

It is totally understandable that you're nervous! I had never seen a chicken (except at the petting zoo) until I was thirteen...if you knew all the mistakes we made with our first four chickens...I won't go into details unless you want me to, but suffice it to say we killed two of them inadvertently within two years and a third one died shortly after. You're definitely way more prepared than we ever were and certainly not nuts !
Congratulations on the Dominiques! I have always wanted one but it hasn't happened yet.
Try not to worry about all the things that might not happen...I mean they could, but out of all the thousands of people who keep chickens most of them have healthy and happy flocks, as long as they care for them properly (everyone on BYC will be glad to help!). I too am terrified of one day waking up to a weasel or raccoon infiltration...but I've done the best I could to prevent it and I just have to trust that they'll be safe. I pray every night that they will be protected and so far they are all alive every morning, even though I've forgotten to lock the door now and then.
Hope this helps a little...everyone else has great advice as well! (And if you find you need to get rid of them...I was trying to rehome a rooster and ended up buying more hens instead!)

Pictures are of my second group of chicks - in a hotel room!

 

[McChooky]

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 don't recognize the breed but they blend in perfectly in their surroundings and make a lovely photo!

 

[fluffycrow]

I don't recognize the breed but they blend in perfectly in their surroundings and make a lovely photo!

That's such a huge compliment! They are a Greek landrace, so blending in to their surroundings is one of the important things we have to consider when breeding them. I'm glad to hear that you find this very integral, and old part of the landrace present in my birds, thank you!

 

[Folly's place]

Good for you for spending time researching 'how to' before getting your birds!
Starting with healthy birds, and predator proofing, can't be overdone. Many of us have learned the hard way that our coops weren't safe enough, and that free ranging has huge risks. Having a really safe coop, and a large enough coop/ safe run space for your birds, when they have to be locked in for maybe weeks at a time, makes a big difference in their survival.
And 'chicken math' is a real thing! We started with (?) six bantams from a neighbor, over thirty years ago, and now get down to thirty or a few more for our winter coop! Build as big as you can! We've enlarged and redone our coop three times now, and I wish it was bigger...
Mary

 

[SourRoses]

I really feel like an animal person is an animal person, period. It's not so much a matter of whether you've had experience with certain animals, but whether you can read animals in general and have empathy for them.

Of course, there are plenty of chicken keepers who have a more old-school economic focused farmer mentality, and for them extensive knowledge and experience is necessary to kind of walk the line of what's practical.
But for those of us modern keepers who consider chickens to be little buddies with fringe benefits, we can learn a lot by being attentive to signs of their contentment or distress. Confidence will come with that in time.

There are a few lessons that are hard learned and bear repeating to save new keepers and their flocks pain...

1. Space. I want to cry sometimes when I see some coop & run setups, just thinking that's their whole lives. It causes social stress that people get used to as "normal chicken behavior", then they never experience how peaceful a flock can be. As a rule of thumb, they should not be hurting each other or complaining all the time unless there are new changes to flock members of something upsetting happening.
And then, even when you get the space right to start with, eventually you end up with more chickens... Then space can become an issue.

2. Hardware cloth. If you don't want birds to die, you use 1/2 inch hardware cloth, period. No chicken wire or whatever else on the coop. Where they sleep at least should be completely protected with hardware cloth. Personally, I take a risk and fashion their yards out of no-climb 2x4 wire fence. Because they can look out for themselves when they're awake it's not such a big deal (depending on environment). But sleep space is always protected with hardware cloth.

 

[McChooky]

Even though me and my 4 siblings were all raised around chickens I'm the only one who ever raised my own! Having an big easy to clean coop makes raising all the chickens you want more enjoyable!

 

[McChooky]

I really feel like an animal person is an animal person, period. It's not so much a matter of whether you've had experience with certain animals, but whether you can read animals in general and have empathy for them.

Of course, there are plenty of chicken keepers who have a more old-school economic focused farmer mentality, and for them extensive knowledge and experience is necessary to kind of walk the line of what's practical.
But for those of us modern keepers who consider chickens to be little buddies with fringe benefits, we can learn a lot by being attentive to signs of their contentment or distress. Confidence will come with that in time.

There are a few lessons that are hard learned and bear repeating to save new keepers and their flocks pain...

1. Space. I want to cry sometimes when I see some coop & run setups, just thinking that's their whole lives. It causes social stress that people get used to as "normal chicken behavior", then they never experience how peaceful a flock can be. As a rule of thumb, they should not be hurting each other or complaining all the time unless there are new changes to flock members of something upsetting happening.
And then, even when you get the space right to start with, eventually you end up with more chickens... Then space can become an issue.

2. Hardware cloth. If you don't want birds to die, you use 1/2 inch hardware cloth, period. No chicken wire or whatever else on the coop. Where they sleep at least should be completely protected with hardware cloth. Personally, I take a risk and fashion their yards out of no-climb 2x4 wire fence. Because they can look out for themselves when they're awake it's not such a big deal (depending on environment). But sleep space is always protected with hardware cloth.

I can't like this post enough! Well stated!

 

[Folly's place]

Yes, no openings larger that 1/2" anywhere, at least overnight. And build BIG, because crowding is never good. never mind "four sq. ft. minimum', go bigger! And ventilation, so important!
Pictures and dimensions of your coop and run, post here if you want advice.
mary

 

[RadEggs]

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?)

Predator proof! Then do it again, and double check! Chicken wire is NOT for chickens, unless you want a racoon to rip their heads off. Seriously, I have heard way to many horror stories. Be careful and you'll do great.

 

[McChooky]

You have the makings of an excellent chicken caretaker! I only wish more people had the gumption to learn what they need before getting any! The more research you've done the better prepared you'll be on your journey!