Things You Wish You Would Have Known?

[Lisa Wood]

Coop de Gras,
How did you get birds to line up like soldiers? Are they deceased and stuffed? What breeds? The second one from camera looks like small hawk?!

 

[User395221]

Things would go so much better if people would LISTEN.

Sometimes they aren't told. I think pet stores shouldn't sell an animal if someone doesn't have the basic understanding of its needs, and has housing for it. They just let people march out of there with chicks "for the children to play with" or some other daft reason. When you've got hundreds (thousands?) of babies being sold, it's probably unrealistic to ensure their welfare, but at least some people with no clue might listen and change their minds if they are given the truth about what they are taking on.

 

[lpyrbby]

Of course not!! I totally agree people, specially new ones, often need guidance. I think when we say "addicted" we are not kidding Rght now I am not working, hubby semi-retired, never had kids, so the animals are the babies. I can see chicks from three windows in my house. I watch them day and night and spend time with them. But what happens if things change? I start work, some one dies, gets sick, divorced? I always have a plan B. If I go to plan B, I make a plan C. No one should be making hard decisions if they are upset and stressed and emotional. I like everything with animals thought out before hand.
God kept telling me to get some chicks, to be a therapy for me. I argued but He won, as usual, right? They make me laugh and bring me joy.
My expertise is dogs, with years of rescue work. Any time anyone had worked with rescue, we hear the stupid excuses.
Some one allergic
Dog barking all day while we are at work
Puppy chewing stuff up.
Too big and rowdy, blah blah blah. And I am afraid with my breeds, sometimes the dog is protective, owner does not LISTEN, and some one gets bit. I must talk to them politely and sweetly till I get dog back. Once that happens, I speak plainly, and you were just WAY nicer to me.

) I highly suspect chicks are the same as puppies. "Oooh! He is do cute" Yes, they are ALL like that, then they are DOGS!
Things would go so much better if people would LISTEN. But as Ron White says, " You can't fix stupid." I vote you keep reminding others.
Lisa

A woman with my heart! (slight derailment - also in SC and ALSO previously involved in rescue. And also no babies lol)

 

[cream puff]

I wish I had known how tenacious raccoons are! We didn't lose any, but last night we found the mother inside our supposedly secure run, with her kits on the roof! She went through a 3" space above the door. DH is closing it up at this moment.

We will be putting up an electric fence this weekend. I don't have it in me to trap them and kill them, and relocating them makes them some one else's problem... And I no longer say how cute the darn kits are! My chickens are much much cuter!

make sure to put peanut butter on the electric fence....

 

[Coop de Grass]

Coop de Gras,
How did you get birds to line up like soldiers? Are they deceased and stuffed? What breeds? The second one from camera looks like small hawk?!

@Lisa Wood lol! It took me awhile to figure out which photo! They love their roosts! Now if only they would all face in the same direction! Left to right: Easter egger, Bielefelder pullet, EE, EE, Bielefelder cockerel.

Sadly, the Bielefelder pullet was taken by a raccoon the same night as the Olive egger cockerel. The second photo is of some my original flock. I got hooked last June and the flock is now 15 with chicks on the way!



My original girls during the construction of their run.: Biele, Buff Orp,Black Australorp, Biele, Nlack Australorp, Silver laced wyandotte.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Rght now I am not working, hubby semi-retired, never had kids, so the animals are the babies.
But what happens if things change? I always have a plan B. If I go to plan B, I make a plan C.
They make me laugh and bring me joy.

Lisa

@Lisa Wood Nearly the same for me. Unemployed and working temp when possible, Husband unemployed but doing freelance work 14 hours a day, last kid (of blended 5 kids) in college, I really had an empty nest. I always wanted chickens and so I got them despite my husband and father saying no to the idea of "rent a chicken".

Dad and DH are now completely hooked as well.

Sometimes you can only create the plan after things go wrong. I recently lost 8 chicks to a raccoon. They were housed separately in the semi predator proof run and needed to be locked in to their little coop. I went down later than normal to close them up. I was 20 minutes too late.

New plan: only house chicks inside the predator proof run. Except we found out that the raccoon could get into the predator proof run,,,

Newer plan: seal every single opening larger than an inch square. eventually we will add an electric fence.

Those birds are like my children and I'm not letting anything hurt them.

They really do make us laugh, and they bring me joy in the smallest ways.

I think that you are right about many things. We need to listen, we need to plan, we need to be flexible, we need not to judge, we need to be empathetic.

Nice to meet you!

 

[Coop de Grass]

make sure to put peanut butter on the electric fence....

Really??? I haven't figured out how to put the fence up so that it will work for us. Lots a brush and trees along the back and side of the runs, and several doors/gates.

 

[cream puff]

Really??? I haven't figured out how to put the fence up so that it will work for us. Lots a brush and trees along the back and side of the runs, and several doors/gates.

When you get your fence up, put peanut butter on a section about 6 inches from the ground, the raccoon will smell it and take a bite - make sure it's electrified

 

[Coop de Grass]

When you get your fence up, put peanut butter on a section about 6 inches from the ground, the raccoon will smell it and take a bite - make sure it's electrified

I can't wait to try this!!!

 

[Lisa Wood]

@Lisa Wood
 Nearly the same for me. Unemployed and working temp when possible, Husband unemployed but doing freelance work 14 hours a day, last kid (of blended 5 kids) in college, I really had an empty nest. I always wanted chickens and so I got them despite my husband and father saying no to the idea of "rent a chicken".

Dad and DH are now completely hooked as well.

Sometimes you can only create the plan after things go wrong. I recently lost 8 chicks to a raccoon. They were housed separately in the semi predator proof run and needed to be locked in to their little coop. I went down later than normal to close them up. I was 20 minutes too late.

New plan: only house chicks inside the predator proof run. Except we found out that the raccoon could get into the predator proof run,,,

Newer plan: seal every single opening larger than an inch square. eventually we will add an electric fence.

Those birds are like my children and I'm not letting anything hurt them.

They really do make us laugh, and they bring me joy in the smallest ways. 

I think that you are right about many things. We need to listen, we need to plan, we need to be flexible, we need not to judge, we need to be empathetic.

Nice to meet you!

I didn't know I wanted chickens. We have developed an infinity for birds, and wanted to start being somewhat self sufficient. My husband has planted and made chicken farm on half acre where my house sits, and he is SO EXCITED to have another 1.6 that needs clearing. We were thinking about goats, but after researching it just seemed like too much commitment for milking, and it seems they have alot of stuff go wrong. And there's the de-horning part, which I dont know if I could do.
So, we decided on chickens, to see how that goes. I had no idea they are more fun to watch than TV. Unless the TV show is chickens!?
When yhey came as babies, I had already studied what was flying over head. We have a pair of hawks that cruise by at least once a day. Dear hubby didn't see the hawks. He woukd say thungs like "Theres nonhawks here, right? We don't live by the water?"
"They are cgickens. They don't fly! I Even if they did fly, they aren't gonna want to leave, riight?"
" Well, I am outside all the time and I haven't seen any predators"

Our propert backs up to miles of woods. I had a pale coyote yipping thru the window at my dogs at 2 am. We fell in love at first sight, and decided wd would try not to loose any. I told him I would cry, which I would.

I put mine to bed in between 8 and 9. They are adjacent to the dog yard, in back yard where aI can see them day and night. I am reasonably certain the coop is secure except for small gaps under the overhang for ventilation. I worry about it, but it is up high, so I don't think s coon could reach. We have the home made snake trap, and the anti-snake powder.

I am so sorry for your loss. Life is just so full of loss it is sometimes overwelming. I had no idea people had emotions over chicks.

So, your chickens are on roosts! Novel idea! That lets you know how new I am! LOL They are all lovely.I am afrsid my fav chicken is not lovely, except to me. She is big and dorky and unrefined. But smart and the lead hen.