Topic of the Week - I wish I knew…

[sumi]

Pic by @Hinotori
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Hindsight is always 20/20 they say and I don't think there is a chicken keeper alive that doesn't have at least one "I wish I knew this before…" when it comes to chicken keeping.

Be it knowing how addictive chicken keeping is, or that a coop needs to be predator-proof, or that keeping a few too many roosters in a flock is usually not a good idea, or that chickens peck really hard, we all learned some lessons, good, bad, funny, or sad along the way.

This week I would like to know what you wish you knew before you started keeping chickens and the things you learned along the way.

See here for a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive.72529/

 

[N F C]

I wish I had known years ago how much I would enjoy raising chickens. If I'd only known how much fun and how interesting they are, I would have gotten them a long time ago.

 

[sjpi1954]

I wish I had known more about the differences between Internet Dating and being a Chicken Farmer 10 years ago...

1. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks NEVER ask for my Credit Card.
2. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks NEVER have something '...better to do' than to spend time with me.
3. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks NEVER ask for the keys to my car or truck.
4. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks NEVER need pills to combat IBS, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, or Obesity...
5. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks are ALWAYS excited to see me every single time I visit them.
6. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks NEVER need makeup.
7. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks NEVER show up late for a date.
8. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks actually want me to hold them and love them.
9. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks never have that certain 'Time of the Month'.
10. My 2 week old Leghorn Chicks always enjoy my singing, whistling, and lectures...

God Bless America

JP

 

[Dawnclucks22]

I wish I knew that chickens went in on their own at night. When we first got them we spent the evenings rounding everyone up. One night we got home late to find them all on the roost.

 

[Kiki]

I wish I knew just how real chicken diseases are.

Thankfully I learned about biosecurity and practice it religiously.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I wish I knew that integration wouldn’t be easy.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I wish I knew to join Backyard Chickens years ago instead of only 15 months ago.

 

[RodNTN]

I wish I had known what chicken math was...

 

[Hinotori]

I wish I had known that different breeds really do have different requirements for space. Also that you just shouldn't put certain breeds together because of bullying

 

[drumstick diva]

Wish I knew computers weren't so bad, wouldn't have lurked for 8 mos.