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

[Island Hen]

Even guaranteed hens can turn out to be roos! While the breeder was happy to replace them with hens, he didn't want the roos back. It's hard to get rid of them! Really hard!

 

[newbie32]

I thought of another one-I wish I had known that time goes very very slowly when you are waiting for a definite answer as to the sex of your chickens.

 

[Gardeningmama]

If you have ever had a bantam rooster you know that bantam rooster's aren't just small and cute because I'm well aware that it is a natural instinct but bantam rooster's will attack you if you come near any hens with it and it can hurt

I don't think this is exclusive to all Bantams, but definitely can apply. My Serama & Silkie boys were and are the sweetest boys, however, my Cuckoo D'Anvers are Devil Spawn! My friend has an Old English Game banty that makes me not want to go to her house. I think it's a 50/50.

 

[kkenney]

If you have ever had a bantam rooster you know that bantam rooster's aren't just small and cute because I'm well aware that it is a natural instinct but bantam rooster's will attack you if you come near any hens with it and it can hurt

We also have a Seabright rooster and he is a nasty little guy as well! I never go around him or his hens without a stick or jeans on. We almost got rid of him due to his CONSTANT crowing and moodiness but then we saw him go after our cat when she escaped from the house and I realized with his mood swings he'd certainly defend the hens at all costs, even if he does leave my legs bruised!

 

[Katt66]

Best advice I can give is build the biggest coop/run you can possibly build. Even if you only plan on three to four chickens, build a coop for twenty if you have the room. Because between kids getting attached to "pullets" turned roosters they hatched and brought into the world themselves, and other "can't bear to part with" chickens, you'll end up with more than you intended eventually.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Best advice I can give is build the biggest coop/run you can possibly build.  Even if you only plan on three to four chickens, build a coop for twenty if you have the room.  Because between kids getting attached to "pullets" turned roosters they hatched and brought into the world themselves, and other "can't bear to part with" chickens, you'll end up with more than you intended eventually.  

Yes! Everyone out there that has had to enlarge chicken coop capacity raise your hands. Ok. That's everyone. Lol. I am always in the middle of enlarging plans. Lol

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I don't think this is exclusive to all Bantams, but definitely can apply. My Serama & Silkie boys were and are the sweetest boys, however, my Cuckoo D'Anvers are Devil Spawn! My friend has an Old English Game banty that makes me not want to go to her house. I think it's a 50/50.

Here is Primrose.
Another thing: it isn't just Roos that can be nasty. My precious Primrose ( yes, my namesake) has turned nasty. I bought her and one other from a feed store. One died, so I bought one more and it died. BYC members helped me save her because they all needed Corid, but it was too late for the other two. So it was just Primrose and I for a couple of weeks and she was very bonded to me. I didn't want her to be alone so I bought two black stars that were only a week older than she was (they were 3 weeks). Well, they ganged up on her so she hung out with me and had her own coop because they were mean to her. Finally they could live together but she was the odd chicken out. Then she started pecking everyone including me. She will run up and peck and try to spur with her imaginary spurs, it is a serious attack. When she pecks it is with beak open then she twists out a bit of flesh. She can cause a bleeding wound through pants!!! I wear rubber boots which are a little help. But she's so tame and calm to be held. So, just know you can love a hen that goes bad. I would never get rid of her but have to lock her up when people come over.

 

[Valk]

I will not buy straight run chicks.I thought since they are cheaper it would be worth it even at 50% chance of getting roos .I bought 3 NH got 3 roos I bought 10 GLW 8 turned out to be roos,then I bought 8 BA 6 turned out to be roos. Okay now I learned my lesson and I bought 6 black pullets from TSC 4 were roos. Dang the luck!!

My daughter bought me an incubator, cool I'm going to hatch my own chicks 8 eggs hatched 6 were roos

I bought 4 CM pullets 3 were roos

I sold 15 roos and have to butcher the rest this fall I am going to keep 2-3 roos for breeding, because I want to hatch eggs in the spring. Must be the year of the rooster. I did buy10 pullets from Townline hatchery guess what, all pullets.

Your online name should be Roosters R Us!

Glad you ended up with some pullets.

 

[icbleu]

Wish I had known that it is almost impossible to get a local coop builder to make a small doghouse coop to specifications. Seems like every maker I reach out to inflates the price to ridiculously insane numbers because the word "chicken" is attached to it.

 

[lauranickerson]

I learned that culling your roosters is a lot harder than I thought! Killing something you raised is very difficult, so be prepared or have someone lined up to do it, because one day your hens look great, then the next they are in shambles and their feathers are ruined!