What information do you wish you had known starting out?

[brewdaddy]

>>dust

give it 3 weeks or so... then you'll know....

 

[klutterer]

Things I wish I'd known:

I live in a neighborhood with an HOA that probably does not allow chickens (I haven't officially checked -- but there's no rule against pet birds). I originally thought I'd be able to keep my birds "under the radar." Not possible. Hens (not just roosters) are NOISY. I have not figured out how to dampen the noise (any ideas?) -- but so far no one has complained.

Chickens sleep on PERCHES (branches, roosts, whatever) not in nests. The doghouse I re-purposed did not allow the girls to roost, so they chose to sleep on top of it -- which was fine till a racoon tried to grab them. Make sure your shelter is high enough to accomodate a raised roost. (I added height with plywood, and it is ugly but functional)

Chickens don't like dark places -- another reason they did not go inside their unlighted shelter, but perched outside where they could bask in the light from the living room window. I solved this problem by lighting the shelter with a solar-powered Christmas light string that comes on automatically at dusk (got it 75% off in January, and it has lasted 14 months so far!)

My hens did not lay many eggs from November - February (so I had to buy eggs for holiday baking).

Rodents (rats? mice?) gravitate to the feed. Mint plants theoretically ward them off.

Chickens poop EVERYWHERE. Dogs like to eat chicken poop (great for their breath!). So when my girls free-range, I have to spend 10 minutes with a litter-box shovel cleaning up after them before I can let the dogs out.

You will want slip-on coop shoes whenever you enter the pen. (I use oversized Crocs)

Chickens like to tear up drip irrigation lines. Chickens like to spill potted plants. I am trying to figure out how to create a chicken-safe part of my yard so the girls can free-range without destoying my yard.

You will want a feed/water system that will provide enough for your girls for long weekends. For longer getaways, you will need a chicken-sitter. (I have wonderful neighbors).

Feed stores sell antibiotics and medicine droppers -- good to know for the inevitable injuries from dogs, racoons, etc.

Organic eggs at Whole Foods, etc. are CHEAP in comparison. Backyard chickens cost lots of money -- but they are fun!

Composting chicken poop in a 'tumbler' takes a long time and is not cost-effective (since you will need 3-5 tumblers). Composted manure at the garden store is much cheaper.

A mister attached to a garden hose will keep your girls much happier on 100-degree days.

 

[ceeceeholt]

How much dust they generate, a lot! What seemed like something my husband wanted, turned into a huge love of chicken! Who knew they would be so much fun! Do your research and be ready before the chicks come home, not cart before the horse like we did! But, everyone is doing fine, no thanks to us in the begining.
Wish I would have known more about the different breeds, because they are different. One of my biggest is not all Roosters are nice, even when you hand raised them from a baby chick!!!!!

 

[Queen of the chickens]

I am amazed at how many good tips people are still finding to add. Klutterer, I thought I was the only one who's dogs have a penchant for poo. They also love to eat the remains when I dump the chick feed/wood chip mixture that accumulates in the bottom of the feeders. I really hope their nothing in there that's bad for them.

 

[Queencupcake]

Hi,
How to keep backyard chickens would be a great course to take. I would have like to have known: How to clip their wings and why, how to keep them safe against predititors (mainly foxes and maybe eagkes deoending upon where you live), any illnesses or diseases (lice, etc), if to worm them and how and why, why handling them a lt when young will make them used to you and easier to handle when needed (if they're inured, escape, etc), if you need to physically place them on a high perch to roost of a night and simpy how to have happy chickens.
Hope this helps.
Queencupcake

 

[countingducks]

We got lucky,somebody at Abashon hardware (I'm sure I did't spell that right) anyway they sell chicks too and they told us to get a metal outlet.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

I wish I would have known more about using local resources to find chicks instead of just hatchery stock. Once I learned that I had great luck with stock from craigslist. I also lucked out with a lot of free Easter chicks.

You don't need a heat lamp in the coop for adults unless you're above the arctic circle (or at least the 50th parallel

). How were chickens raised before electricity?

Tiny chicks grow FAST and there fore need a lot of space. And they enjoy jumping on and over toys. Use a colorful dish to serve extras. Play with the chicks if you want them to be friendly. We made the brooder big enough to set in and let them come to visit us, then started picking them up after a week old. DId not want to stress out the chicks.

Use vinegar in the water to stop the slime. 1 table spoon per gal of water both white and cider works.

• Chickens don't need heat lamps. Go ahead and insulate your coop if you live in a cold winter climate. But the more birds have to depend on their feathers and correct diet during the winter, the stronger and healthier they will be. Adding heat to adult birds is unnecessary in the least. At the worst, its a fire hazard and providing heat weakens your birds natural ability to handle the cold.
• Speaking of coops....VENTILATION. Learn what that means. It's nearly the most important factor in any type of animal housing for respiratory health and health over all.
• If you get roosters, learn about rooster behavior and teach them early to respect you as the Alpha Roo. There is NO NEED to beat or be violent with a rooster. He will only learn to fight you or fear you, neither of which is going to make for a happy rooster.
• Stress equals disease in chickens. Understand that they form life long bonds with other chickens, they bond with their humans and even where they live. Minimize stress in your chickens' lives by knowing this and making changes slowly, if you have to make them at all.

2. Don't get them to save money - you will spend a lot on building coops. (notice coops is plural)
4. Eco Glow brooder IS the best thing since sliced bread.
7. If a person/company is advertising that a coop will hold 10-12 chickens, it will really hold 3-4.
10. You'll get used to chicken poop.............really.
11. Ventilation is extremely important and making sure they have ventilation without drafts is even more important.

These folks said everything I wanted to add. The thing I notice most is that, mostly because of the expense of coops, we want to believe recommendations like 2-sq.-feet-per-bird or it-will-be-okay-because-they-free-range, but when they grow up, you will see that 4 square feet per bird really is the minimum. Bite the bullet and build the bigger coop, and a year down the line you will be really glad you did.

It's hard to beat Storey's Guide ot Raising Chickens, by Gail Damerow; it addresses a lot of the things people in this thread have said they wish they knew.
http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332369851&sr=1-1
Another favorite of mine is Harvey Ussery's The Small-Scale Poultry Flock.
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/
It's more oriented to the homesteader/permaculture type, which is great with me.

Agreed on both counts! Damerow's The Chicken Health Handbook is also a fantastic tool.

 

[citychickx6]

That mice can and will find a way into the coop. That mice can and will chew the feathers off of sleeping chickens.
Been beating my head against the wall trying to figure out what is going on and now I think I finally know.

Step one removing all food and water from the coop.
Step two remove all shavings from the floor and add step flashing to all edges in case they are coming in at the base of a wall.
Step three set even more traps.
Step four put all hens in a new raised coop to recover.
Step five move hens back to main coop and