What Do You Wish You Would've Known When You First Started Raising Chickens?

[QiyeTLyriQue]

Chicken newbie here and I currently have a small flock of 4 hens and 1 rooster. All hens are laying consistently

I have 6 EEs & 4 Silkies going on 5 weeks. Their brooder is an extra large unused dog house, secured with chicken wire in the opening. They can see the outdoors and the other chickens can see them, too. They tend to visit the chicks every other day -ish. No weird behavior as far as I can tell.

Right now we're working on a 30'x15' run, and have converted a shack out back as their coop. We've also decided to connect that space with a side space where my old "cat shack" was converted to a coop as well... so basically when I open their door they can take the side space to get back to the bigger run & other coop. This will also help me with keeping my immediate backyard area free from chicken poop in the future lol (right now the adults get to roam all over my backyard, and sometimes the BACK backyard).

So I believe I have the space to accommodate all my chickens (and the ones I ordered, that'll arrive in June ).

I've read different points/suggestions about integration, pecking order, feeding enough protein, happy chickens = laying chickens (which has been my personal experience), chicken treats, and so forth.
Now, TBH, I might be spoiling my chickens but I spoil all my animals (I have 2 dogs, 7 cats)... will that be an issue in the long run, for the chickens?

▪︎ Are there any proactive steps I can take when I integrate everyone together?
▪︎ Are there "good" ways to spoil my chickens? (Right now they get various berries, bugs in a bag, salad scraps, etc. aside from their feed)
▪︎ How open are hens to using a different nesting box, or will they always return to their original one?
▪︎ Do you have a Chicken First Aid kit? If so, what's included?
▪︎ Give me your secrets pretty please...

Thanks in advance ♡♡♡

 

[WingItRanch]

Hi! Sounds like you have a good plan. I'll answer your questions (in order) based on my experiences.
1. I'm integrating chicks I've been raising for the first time this year with my hens. See but no touch method. I'm going to wait until they are close to the same size before letting them together.
2. You can definitely spoil chickens! It's recommended to keep treats below 10% of their diet. One thing they LOVE is if you occasionally wet down their food and make a mash. That way they get a special "treat" while still getting their nutrients from regular feed.
3. My chickens switch egg boxes all the time. I keep a fake egg in each and I've noticed they swap around if one is "taken."
4. Yes! Gloves, corid, bluekote, calcium d3, saline, electrolytes. I'm sure more but can't think of what else is in there.

Good luck with your coop build! Always make it much bigger than you think.

 

[QiyeTLyriQue]

Hi! Sounds like you have a good plan. I'll answer your questions (in order) based on my experiences.
1. I'm integrating chicks I've been raising for the first time this year with my hens. See but no touch method. I'm going to wait until they are close to the same size before letting them together.
2. You can definitely spoil chickens! It's recommended to keep treats below 10% of their diet. One thing they LOVE is if you occasionally wet down their food and make a mash. That way they get a special "treat" while still getting their nutrients from regular feed.
3. My chickens switch egg boxes all the time. I keep a fake egg in each and I've noticed they swap around if one is "taken."
4. Yes! Gloves, corid, bluekote, calcium d3, saline, electrolytes. I'm sure more but can't think of what else is in there.

Good luck with your coop build! Always make it much bigger than you think.

Thank you for your feedback! I occasionally give them oatmeal (steel cut oats w/ almond milk), w/ some blueberries mushed in there. They love it, so I will definitely try the mash technique!

The first hen that laid used the nesting box trio that I made, but when the head honcho hen started laying, she used a really high nesting box and now all of them lay in that one only. They will literally wait until one hen is done lol

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Not sure if/how my list of what I wish I had known way back (I've had chickens for 20+ years,) fits into your grand scheme but here it is:

• MHP and brooding on cool side is best.
• Don't reach in over head to brooder, use side doors.
• Don't get all same color, breed of chicken
• RIR's are on the mean side
• Can't live without poop trays
• Go as big as possible with coop size, walk in.
• Don't do bare coop floor or "deep litter."
• Chickens decimate any area, rotate free ranging areas to avoid total plant massacre.
• Don't try your hand at making your own feed
• Integration is a slow careful process: look don't touch, then supervised cocktail hours, then free ranging together.
• Don't get obsessed with giving food variety and treats.
• Extra protein during molt/winter
• Have a Rooster back out plan (needing to un-own a Rooster can be a reality.)
• Put alot of thought and design into coop functionality = quick daily chore + nice, clean coop.
• (this is for sure just me,) insulated coop = cool during summer, warm during winter.

 

[WingItRanch]

Thank you for your feedback! I occasionally give them oatmeal (steel cut oats w/ almond milk), w/ some blueberries mushed in there. They love it, so I will definitely try the mash technique!

The first hen that laid used the nesting box trio that I made, but when the head honcho hen started laying, she used a really high nesting box and now all of them lay in that one only. They will literally wait until one hen is done lol

That's completely normal! You'll have 5 nest boxes and they'll fight over one. Chickens..

 

[WingItRanch]

Not sure if/how my list of what I wish I had known way back (I've had chickens for 20+ years,) fits into your grand scheme but here it is:

• MHP and brooding on cool side is best.
• Don't reach in over head to brooder, use side doors.
• Don't get all same color, breed of chicken
• RIR's are on the mean side
• Can't live without poop trays
• Go as big as possible with coop size, walk in.
• Don't do bare coop floor or "deep litter."
• Chickens decimate any area, rotate free ranging areas to avoid total plant massacre.
• Don't try your hand at making your own feed
• Integration is a slow careful process: look don't touch, then supervised cocktail hours, then free ranging together.
• Don't get obsessed with giving food variety and treats.
• Extra protein during molt/winter
• Have a Rooster back out plan (needing to un-own a Rooster can be a reality.)
• Put alot of thought and design into coop functionality = quick daily chore + nice, clean coop.
• (this is for sure just me,) insulated coop = cool during summer, warm during winter.

Great tips- especially having a plan for roosters.

Can I ask why not deep litter? I use that method and have been happy with it but I'm curious your thoughts.

 

[FrostRanger]

Not sure if/how my list of what I wish I had known way back (I've had chickens for 20+ years,) fits into your grand scheme but here it is:

• MHP and brooding on cool side is best.
• Don't reach in over head to brooder, use side doors.
• Don't get all same color, breed of chicken
• RIR's are on the mean side
• Can't live without poop trays
• Go as big as possible with coop size, walk in.
• Don't do bare coop floor or "deep litter."
• Chickens decimate any area, rotate free ranging areas to avoid total plant massacre.
• Don't try your hand at making your own feed
• Integration is a slow careful process: look don't touch, then supervised cocktail hours, then free ranging together.
• Don't get obsessed with giving food variety and treats.
• Extra protein during molt/winter
• Have a Rooster back out plan (needing to un-own a Rooster can be a reality.)
• Put alot of thought and design into coop functionality = quick daily chore + nice, clean coop.
• (this is for sure just me,) insulated coop = cool during summer, warm during winter.

Great tips- especially having a plan for roosters.

Can I ask why not deep litter? I use that method and have been happy with it but I'm curious your thoughts.

Also agree on all points except deep litter, I use deep litter and it works great for me

My tips are
1. Have multiple feed and water stations, more than you think you'll need. This cuts down on bullying and resource guarding by a good bit
2. In summer, place shallow pans of water under their waterers to encourage them to soak their feet as their feet are one of their few exposed areas
3. Avoid flock blocks, they are just huge blocks of scratch and mine pretty much ignored their feed until I removed access to the flock block and made a mess the one time I had a flock block. Never again
4. Best way to get friendly birds is to simply chill quietly with them. You don't even have to be paying any attention to them. I often would sit in the run, play on my phone and just let them do as they will
5. Of course treats fed in moderation (including their food made into a wet mash or fermented) helps things along as well (this taming method also works for feral cats, ask me how I know lol)
6. Free ranging late afternoon helps reduce the likelihood of hawk attacks and ensures they don't wander off too far (more so helpful if your yard isn't fenced in like mine)
7. If you want nice animals, treat them with respect and don't put up with the mean ones. It is not worth it in the long run
8. Always quarantine new birds
9. Always have the coop ready before you get birds. You don't know when you'll suddenly fall severely ill with 3 different things at once literally the day before you plan on expanding the coop and moving the chicks (totally didn't happen to me, not at all.....)
10. On that note, make sure your birds will be able to take care of themselves for a few days in an emergency. Last year I could barely even take care of the chicks in the brooder 'cause I was too busy puking my guts out and coughing my lungs out. Thankfully the big girls had plenty of food and water so I knew they would be OK for at least a week if needed which was a huge help
11. Have plenty of clutter in the run, helps cut down on bullying
12. Ignore fad diets, most of the time they are as useless for animals as they are for humans. All they need is a quality chicken feed, grit, oyster shell and plain clean water
13. A covered run is a lifesaver
14. KISS is the best philosophy, no need to overcomplicate things

 

[QiyeTLyriQue]

Not sure if/how my list of what I wish I had known way back (I've had chickens for 20+ years,) fits into your grand scheme but here it is:

• MHP and brooding on cool side is best.
• Don't reach in over head to brooder, use side doors.
• Don't get all same color, breed of chicken
• RIR's are on the mean side
• Can't live without poop trays
• Go as big as possible with coop size, walk in.
• Don't do bare coop floor or "deep litter."
• Chickens decimate any area, rotate free ranging areas to avoid total plant massacre.
• Don't try your hand at making your own feed
• Integration is a slow careful process: look don't touch, then supervised cocktail hours, then free ranging together.
• Don't get obsessed with giving food variety and treats.
• Extra protein during molt/winter
• Have a Rooster back out plan (needing to un-own a Rooster can be a reality.)
• Put alot of thought and design into coop functionality = quick daily chore + nice, clean coop.
• (this is for sure just me,) insulated coop = cool during summer, warm during winter.

I love all of this, thank you! Can you tell me more about a rooster back out plan? What would be reasons to get rid of roosters? (Right now I only have 1 but will be adding another 1 in a few months)
Also, what's wrong w/ the deep litter method?

Thanks again!

 

[FrostRanger]

I love all of this, thank you! Can you tell me more about a rooster back out plan? What would be reasons to get rid of roosters? (Right now I only have 1 but will be adding another 1 in a few months)
Also, what's wrong w/ the deep litter method?

Thanks again!

There are several reasons to get rid of a rooster
1. Human aggression
2. Aggression towards the hens
3. You have too many for the amount of hens you have
4. You have multiple rooster and they won't get along
5. They aren't allowed where you're at (which doesn't sound like is the case where you're at)

Depending on why you need to remove said rooster you have a few options
1. In the case of human aggression or aggression towards the hens or if none of the other options are available, culling
2. Rehoming if the rooster is otherwise nice towards humans and hens
3. Separation into a separate setup if you have the space. You should have the ability to do this at least temporarily anyways as birds may need to be temporarily separated for a variety of reasons

 

[QiyeTLyriQue]

Also agree on all points except deep litter, I use deep litter and it works great for me

My tips are
1. Have multiple feed and water stations, more than you think you'll need. This cuts down on bullying and resource guarding by a good bit
2. In summer, place shallow pans of water under their waterers to encourage them to soak their feet as their feet are one of their few exposed areas
3. Avoid flock blocks, they are just huge blocks of scratch and mine pretty much ignored their feed until I removed access to the flock block and made a mess the one time I had a flock block. Never again
4. Best way to get friendly birds is to simply chill quietly with them. You don't even have to be paying any attention to them. I often would sit in the run, play on my phone and just let them do as they will
5. Of course treats fed in moderation (including their food made into a wet mash or fermented) helps things along as well (this taming method also works for feral cats, ask me how I know lol)
6. Free ranging late afternoon helps reduce the likelihood of hawk attacks and ensures they don't wander off too far (more so helpful if your yard isn't fenced in like mine)
7. If you want nice animals, treat them with respect and don't put up with the mean ones. It is not worth it in the long run
8. Always quarantine new birds
9. Always have the coop ready before you get birds. You don't know when you'll suddenly fall severely ill with 3 different things at once literally the day before you plan on expanding the coop and moving the chicks (totally didn't happen to me, not at all.....)
10. On that note, make sure your birds will be able to take care of themselves for a few days in an emergency. Last year I could barely even take care of the chicks in the brooder 'cause I was too busy puking my guts out and coughing my lungs out. Thankfully the big girls had plenty of food and water so I knew they would be OK for at least a week if needed which was a huge help
11. Have plenty of clutter in the run, helps cut down on bullying
12. Ignore fad diets, most of the time they are as useless for animals as they are for humans. All they need is a quality chicken feed, grit, oyster shell and plain clean water
13. A covered run is a lifesaver
14. KISS is the best philosophy, no need to overcomplicate things

Absolutely love these tips! And I agree w/ 4/7. I noticed when I first got my 4 hens (& rooster) they were suuuuuuper skittish. Now they literally run to me whenever they see me in the backyard. I feel special lol

I did think about covering my run but decided not to. The closest to flying prey we have are pigeons, and Roosevelt (rooster) runs them off half the time... or my cats do. Or my dogs.

Right now my coop is super bare, mostly due to the construction... but what kind of clutter should I add?

Thanks again!