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[Knock Kneed Hen]

Ah! Finally someone wants my advice! I suggest you prepare for more chickens then you originally thought you wanted. They're so much fun that it's inevitable that you'll want just one, maybe two more. Getting the coop prepared BEFORE bringing home the chicks will increase your level of enjoyment and free up the bathroom. You'll want to spend hours reading old threads on BYC to make sure you're prepared for any emergency, like that giant lump on your little chicks chest. You'll want to know why your lovely hen, that just started laying, is now losing all her feathers and won't lay any more eggs. You'll need to be prepared to answer all the questions that friends and family will have for you like how can your chickens lay eggs when you don't have a rooster? You'll discover that having a nice, safe, and cute (doesn't hurt) coop will give you a great nights sleep. Practice ignoring that look from your spouse that says "I don't want to hear any more stories of your darling little chickens and their adorable antics". If you want to buy a chicken diaper then do it, even though your best friend will think you've lost your mind. Have fun with your chickens and they'll teach you how to relax!!

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

My advice is protective.... many if not all of us have a problem with Hawks, or some flying, dive-bombing, attack predator bird. This is particularly for those of us who let our free range chickens out to free range during the day. If there are hawks around, it seems to me, they are there, hunting more in the am and the pm, while the middle of the day is a bit safer. I have some really wild and bright Hawaiian shirts, or, I am wearing my bathrobe when I go out. Checking often, I scream, yell, wave my arms or swing the Hawaiian shirt around in the air, mostly when the hawks are around, sometimes just because they were there, and are still nearby. Be there, a dog, a cat, a bright shirt... and an old crazy chicken lady waving her arms and screeching helps to keep the hawks away, not the straight-jacket, but the hawks.

 

[anodyne]

My best advice is to make sure you relax and have fun with it. Stressing out over it all can stress out your chickens, so just relax and enjoy them for the beauties they are! To stay relaxed, always have everything on hand before you'll need it - litter, feed, treats, cartons, whatever it is, if you're low, get it before you're out and a simple shortage becomes an emergency. When something unexpected or distressing happens, just take a deep breath and tackle the problem rationally. Don't panic, it'll make your chickens panicky too! Relax, and enjoy.

 

[mohillbilly]

To Find out if chickens are legal in your city, You can call your local animal control officer or city hall.

For what chicken breed to get.. First decide If you want to raise them for meat, eggs or both then just choose breeds you like that will give you what you want.

My advice on this is to order your first batch of chicks from a reputable hatchery or breeder then after you are comfortable raising baby chicks buy a good incubator and start hatching your own. Once you start hatching your own you may find that it is paying for your other chicken expenses .

To insure the best quality eggs feed them a high protein layer and keep a dish of crushed oyster shells where they can get to it at all times along with plenty of fresh water. Do not feed them a lot of treats as it can disrupt their laying.

And one final thing... When building their coop and run do not skimp on the wire use a good heavy wire and dig a trench 6 inches deep and wide at the bottom of your fence all around your coop and run, and lay your wire down in the trench before fastening it to the top and bottom , after its fastened down fill your trench in, covering the wire, then nothing will be able to dig under the fence.

 

[theparrotletdude]

My best advice is to do your best to keep your chickens safe.
I like a six-foot tall fence that most dogs can't jump over- a coyote can sometimes get over, but is sometimes blocked. Put netting on the top to keep out the forementioned coyotes and hawks.
Snakes can take chicks or, sometimes full-grown chickens. Guinea hens and peacocks will kill snakes. If you can't afford extra room for them, get really, really small mesh on your fencing. This will also keep out sneaky raccoon hands.
Foxes can be prevented by burying a foot or two of concrete or rocks under your fencing. This will keep them from digging under.
If you rub cedar wood on the top of the coop, and it can prevent mites and lice. These aren't good; having bald chickens running around is 1: not a pretty sight and 2: obviously not too comfortable for the chickens.
Dogs and cats can mostly be ept out as well. If your dog weighs more than 60 pounds put several layers of mesh on the top- that way he/she can't jump on top and break the mesh.

That is my best tips on keeping your birds safe Good luck everyone!

 

[Nicole01]

My best advice is if you want people friendly hens that hop in your lap every time you visit, hand raise them from the day they hatch or the day after you bring them home. The younger they are, the easier they will accept your loving hands. Most breeds are people friendly. Research the people friendly breeds that appeal to you.

It takes just a few minutes a day to pick up your chick and hold them. Talk to them, let them hear your voice. When they are at the laying age, they will be your best friend. Hand feed them wet mash as a treat, this is a good way to earn their trust. Even my most skittish chick in the flock became the most friendly hen.

I have 8 very people friendly hens. When I bring my chair in the coop, they all fly up and sit on any available place there is to sit.

Also, when giving a treat, make a noise of some kind. I use a kissing noise. This helped me a great deal when I needed them to come back to their pen from free ranging the hens. They know there's a yummy treat in my hand. No matter how far away they are, they come running and I'll throw the treat into the door of their run. They all go in racing after that yummy treat. I supervise their free ranging due to hawks, dogs and eagles. This trick has saved their life more then once from a hawk. My hens have grown to really trust me and it's from hand raising them daily since the day after I brought them home.

 

[Peach2u]

Read Read Read, then ask questions.Chose the right chicken for your needs. Some are too crazy to handle others melt in your arms. Is your chicken going to be a pet, for show, eggs, meat or a mix of the above? Besides keeping the area clean and the food and water fresh, Add some excitement! They love live crickets. It's a great treat for the winter when bugs are hard to come by. Also when picking out the coop/run or no run. Make sure they are safe at night. We built our coop with a 40 pound dead fall trap door. On a pulley system my 4 year old can open. The only things that can get into our coop is bears and humans. Don't forget to use hardware cloth over the little gaps and spaces. Mice, rats and snakes can get in through tiny holes. What ever your do have fun. Because if you don't like chickens you will hate cleaning up after them! Seen it many times. Oh look lets get little Johnny a chick for Easter. Soon the chick is a chicken and they have no where to keep it. The point, think it over first and plan ahead. You will be happier in the end. Healthy Happy chickens lay great eggs ;-)

 

[CarolJ]

"Let chickens be chickens." That's the golden rule of keeping chickens. We get into trouble when we attach human needs and desires to them. Ask: "What do CHICKENS need to be healthy and productive?" They need a healthy & balanced diet, an opportunity to peck and scratch in dirt, fresh water, room to move around and flap their wings, and protection from both predators and harsh weather. The other bells and whistles in which we invest our time and money are for our own satisfaction, convenience and aesthetic - not for the chicken's. Those other bells and whistles aren't "bad" - as long as we understand they're for us.

 

[crazychickenwom]

As I am new at raising chickens the best advice I can give to prospective chicken owners is to remember "chicken math" may eventually apply to you.

"Chicken Math" is a commonly used term in the chicken raising industry meaning that often times the number of chickens you plan to have and the number you actually end up with is usually quite different. For instance, when I began my chicken adventure I planned to have 12 meat chickens and 12 hens and a rooster. I designed my chicken coop and tractor to hold this many chickens, following the advice on square feet needed per bird, as well as taking into account the space available on my land. Now that I have actually ordered my chicks I find myself having to expand the size needed in my coop as I just could not say no to myself and ordered 24 hens and 20 meat chickens...

While this situation may never happen to everyone I find it is a common problem faced by many BYC members. Chicken raising seems to be a very addictive behavior. If you are able to plan for more chickens in your future you will never have to scramble for more space when your girls let you know they just don't have enough room to live in peace with their sisters. Therefore, my best advice thus far in my journey is to remember "chicken math" when planning to keep chickens at your home!

 

[pikeman94]

My one bit of advice is to - Be Prepared.

Be Prepared with knowledge
Be Prepared with a good shelter (coop)
Be Prepared for illness
Be Prepared for chicken psychology (integration issues)
But most important -
Be Prepared to have fun.

An if you must know, I am an Eagle Scout.