What do you wish you had known before you got your chickens

[undine]

How much the costs for everything would add up.. =( Too bad i didnt look much into the materials and what not before ordering my cute chickens =D Oh yeah.. and how theyre all supposed to be pullets, and i ended up with 2 roos...its going to be so hard parting with them! Im not readyyyy!!!!

 

[newbie32]

So far I have mainly had a great experience. Mine are still small of course Joining BYC was the best thing I did before I got mine! My coop is big enough but it is not complete due to weather-still need to lay linoleum and needs one more coat of stain. As of right now I guess my regret would be not waiting until the end of summer to get my little loves. I am constantly checking on them and bringing them frozen veggies because the temperatures are still at 110 degrees. Every question I have ever had is answered by experienced people on BYC. THANK YOU GUYS FOR MAKING THIS EASIER!!!!!

Oh and you do have favorites and you do get chicken crazy lol. I never intended to have a favorite. But when one shows you more attention it gets more attention!

 

[TXchickmum]

There are a number of things that I would have loved to have known before purchasing chicks. I read everything that I could get my hands on, spoke with people with experience, and researched for weeks before bringing home the little fuzzes! -didn't know that bantams were not just small versions of big birds. They are habitually broody - and all summer at that! If one resides in a very hot climate, this means hens are always indoors in crates whilst they "sit on invisible eggs" in order to keep them cool and from expiring due to heat stroke... Also, I was clueless to the damage a small flock could inflict upon a lawn and garden. Most articles highlight the benefits (which are accurate) such as fertilizer for the garden and pest control. Rarely do articles state that an area will be promptly stripped if a flock is left on it for anything other than brief/limited time periods. Time. Time is the biggest factor/requirement overlooked. I do suppose that time spent in cleaning, supervising whilst ranging, and other caretaking activities depends largely upon personal preference. For our household, about two hours per day are consumed with "chicken care". We do, however, choose to scoop, sweep, and clean the coop daily; till the run every other day or so. Finally, roosters crow. -not just at dawn, but ALL day long. -had two precious bantam roosters that we made special arrangements for each early morning (indoors). After about a month worth of morning crowing, the little guys began their strutting about and incessant crowing throughout all hours of the day. Unfortunately, they had to be rehomed to a small farm setting which could accommodate their crowing. Fortunately, this worked out well. Our neighbors were happy. The new farm (in need of a few roos) was happy. Purchasing straight run chicks should be done with caution. If roos aren't permitted in an area, don't buy straight run chicks. Period. A year and a half into chicken ownership, our family is happy. It's a large commitment, but very rewarding.

 

[cheeperchick]

So where can I find DE? Is it safe for chickens to breathe?

 

[PrairieChickens]

Quote: I have a little banty rooster named Lucky Star who escaped the brooder when he was about a week old and nearly chilled to death. I found him in the nick of time--he was so cold and stiff already that we thought he WAS dead, until I picked him up and he moved. I got him warmed up and he started to peep and move around again so we put him back in with the others, but a couple of days later I found he'd become paralyzed by his ordeal. A more experienced chicken owner would have probably culled him then, but I was determined. I brought the poor baby back to my house, set up a brooder in my office, and spoiled the ever-lovin' crap out of him for a week and a half until he could function fairly normally again. Now he's all grown up, and a total mama's boy. It's not uncommon for him to follow me right into my parent's house and hang out on my lap while I watch TV or work on my laptop. He's become a real celebrity in the webcam chatroom I hang out in as well.

 

[crowinncluckn]

I would change the design of my coop for easier access for cleaning and caring for the chickens and I would make it bigger because I now know about chicken math. I would let my broody hatch and raise all future members of my flock. Other than that I am pretty happy with my chicken experience so far.

 

[Valk]

Haha, PrairieChickens. It's a silver lining when a sick chick recovers and becomes fabulous! Enjoy your roo!

 

[Gardeningmama]

So where can I find DE? Is it safe for chickens to breathe?

I buy mine at the local feed store. I'm sure you have one around you. Make sure it is food grade. As far as whether it's safe for them to breathe, that is a heated debate. I always wear a mask when using it (learned the hard way), and ONLY dust the coops in the morning after letting the chickens out to allow the dust to settle and maximum airing out time. The less exposure to the airborn dust the better for sure.

Also: wash your hands promptly after using it. Part of it's job (my favorite part) is to absorb moisture, and boy does it ever! bad on the hands but awesome on drying up stinky wet poo, quickly!

 

[grannychicken54]

If I would have known how much fun I was going to have I would have bought pure breeds first and a bigger coop . How cute new babies are I started with 12 chickens had no ideal about chickens and now have over 100 I spend about 3 to 4 hours a day taking care of them.

 

[Richleeblessed]

Has anyone dealt with Meyer Hatchery?

I began with 20 possible hatcheries for baby chicks, and have narrowed my list down to three.

I hope to work alongside two of them, and need to determine which hatchery will truly provide me with quality birds.

One of my biggest dreams in the world has been to manage a chicken ranch. This mean that I will work to produce healthy eggs, meat (if I am up to it) and hatchery. I have a 2 year plan before preparing to farm.

If you could let me know about hatchery experiences and the quality of the birds you received, I would appreciate it.