Official BYC Poll: What Is Your Least Favorite Thing About Keeping Chickens?

[ShweeB1229]

Having birds I raised by hand act like I'm a boogeyman. God almighty, I'll never understand how a bird can go from falling asleep in your hand as a chick to shrieking bloody murder upon being caught.

I am so sorry, I figured that would do the trick! I have 3 "pre-owned" 18-month old girls that act that way & was hoping any new chicks I introduce to the fam would be different. Have you handled them regularly since hatching?

 

[ShweeB1229]

My least favorite part was intergrading older flock with new flock. Now THAT stressed me out big time!

I would love to hear about your experience ie; do's & don'ts as I'm considering getting chicks in the future to add to my current flock of three 18 month old hens.

 

[The Moonshiner]

The thing I'd like to change at the moment is the cost.
Feed prices are a lot higher then they were pre-covid and wood and material prices are crazy high.
I really don't mind most everything else.

 

[Shezadandy]

Trying to keep the run dry. I picked what I thought was the highest spot in the side yard and I STILL have mud problems when it rains. Sand has not helped. I am considering pavers for the area around the coop.



Rusty

Sorry if this is a duplicate, haven't read through the whole thread. - GRAVEL. Sand is a nice top dressing. Start with a good base of bigger gravel, 1 1/2"+, then top it with something smaller like 3/4 "minus" or smaller. The chickens WILL dig down. They will relocate gravel. But since adding gravel I don't have to stop every 2 steps in a muddy run to clear my shoe spikes to get back to the top of the hill. It is a lot of work, but that has been the #1 thing I wish I'd done from the start. You can also just do your main fill the feed and water corridors and leave the rest as dirt. We did the main hill up to the coop and under their covered run area and it made a HUGE difference. When it rained before they'd go under their covered area and their feet would be covered by the mud. No more.

 

[3KillerBs]

I've actually been considering sand at the new house, but I'll have to wait until the hubby does the upgrades he suggested(I love it when it's "his" idea, lol) If the rain will let up today we'll be moving the coop to the new digs.

I'm not talking about using sand in the coop/run -- I think that has a LOT of disadvantages and no advantage that I can see. I use deep bedding/deep litter.

I'm talking about my ground -- the area is known as the Sandhills for a very good reason. Back in the Miocene this was prime beach so the ground is mostly fine-grained quartz sand with a few layers of clay here and there.

My younger kids don't know what mud is and had to be taking on vacation into the mountains to see actual rocks that weren't brought in by a landscaper.

Awful for gardening, but perfect for feather-footed chickesn.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

I selected "other"
My least favorite thing about keeping chickens is having a limit. Being in town means six hens only, no roosters. It means I can't expand the flock to more birds than I already have unless I want to risk getting in trouble with the city.

Originally I chose putting my flock up at night because I have two crafty little speed demons that are very tough to catch!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I'm not talking about using sand in the coop/run -- I think that has a LOT of disadvantages and no advantage that I can see. I use deep bedding/deep litter.

I'm talking about my ground -- the area is known as the Sandhills for a very good reason. Back in the Miocene this was prime beach so the ground is mostly fine-grained quartz sand with a few layers of clay here and there.

My younger kids don't know what mud is and had to be taking on vacation into the mountains to see actual rocks that weren't brought in by a landscaper.

Awful for gardening, but perfect for feather-footed chickesn.

I didn't mean literal sand, my bad for not elaborating. I work at a limestone rock quarry and am planning on getting some scalpings(1/2 inch and smaller down to dust) to use as a base then do my normal grass clippings, leaves, etc for their litter. It will help filter the water through and keep the mud far away, lol

 

[3KillerBs]

I didn't mean literal sand, my bad for not elaborating. I work at a limestone rock quarry and am planning on getting some scalpings(1/2 inch and smaller down to dust) to use as a base then do my normal grass clippings, leaves, etc for their litter. It will help filter the water through and keep the mud far away, lol

It might work with enough organic material on top of it to react with the poop before the poop can wash down into the spaces between the rocks.

Or it might end up forming a cement-like mixture with the poop down there.

Different people have reported different experiences with the use of sand or gravel to control mud.

 

[Shezadandy]

It might work with enough organic material on top of it to react with the poop before the poop can wash down into the spaces between the rocks.

Or it might end up forming a cement-like mixture with the poop down there.

Different people have reported different experiences with the use of sand or gravel to control mud.

Much of it probably has to do with planning- i.e. just putting a layer of gravel down can build some height to get up off the mud-- which might be just fine in some chicken yards due to the natural slope or underlying soils. When drainage is an issue- likely if mud is an ongoing problem, i.e. if rain just pours down and sits there under the gravel while poop washes down there via gravity - of course it won't go well. Giving the moisture somewhere to go is enormously important. Improving poorly draining areas is not a small job, that's for sure- financially or physically!

 

[3KillerBs]

Improving poorly draining areas is not a small job, that's for sure- financially or physically!

Indeed.

We had to have part of our yard re-graded after the house was installed because of the damage done between the previous owner's ill-judged work and the damage done by the septic installers piling dirt at the lower edge of the field.

A contractor who really knows what he's doing when it comes to directing water is worth his weight in gold.