What information do you wish you had known starting out?

[ScottLovelandCO]

This is an amazing thread! Thanks for all of the information. I will definitely be reading each response line by line.

 

[ButchGood]

I found the link that tells you about storing egg for 9 to 12 months......Here is the link. http://doomsday-preppers.com/articles/doomsday-preparation-storing-eggs-9-months/

 

[Chicky Monkey]

I wish I had viewed a topic like this before starting out! I researched library books, internet and talked with so many 'chicken people', but what I didn't find out or realize was: If you are new to this chicken stuff and want to have your own chickens, START OUT WITH ONE EASY, HARDY, GENTLE BREED (my choice would be buff orpingtons), AND BUY ALL YOU WANT AT ONE TIME. I bought groups separately and at different times, but had to find other homes for my subsequent groups because I couldn't handle the harsh way chickens treat 'newcomers'. I would buy all one breed, because I found out chickens can be 'racist'! Also, have everything ready BEFORE you bring your chickens home. As for the outside facilities(coop, outside pen, etc.) I found it best to have MORE space than is what is recommended as it keeps chickens happier. Having said all this, I LOVE my seven girls (2 buff orpingtons, 2 silver-lace Wyandottes, and 3 barred rocks)! Oh, and DON'T think you are going to save alot of money by having your own chickens, if you are treating them right! Our reward is the freshest and HEALTHIEST eggs we could possibly have. I give my chickens vegetarian feed, mealworms, 'chicken speghetti' (whole grain thin speghetti, cooked, with speghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, ground carrots, cucumbers, squash, apples, etc.), chopped spinach. They also are allowed supervised free-range periods to catch their own bugs, worms, etc., which is one of the best times of my day...sitting outside watching the antics of those special little creatures and relaxing with good company, drink and just relaxing!

 

[Chicky Monkey]

I want to emphasize that my comment is for people who are very sensitive and tender-hearted. If you can deal with the aggressiveness of chickens pecking and hurting each other during the process of re-establishing a pecking order, then disregard my post!

 

[ReikiStar]

I wish I had viewed a topic like this before starting out! I researched library books, internet and talked with so many 'chicken people', but what I didn't find out or realize was: If you are new to this chicken stuff and want to have your own chickens, START OUT WITH ONE EASY, HARDY, GENTLE BREED (my choice would be buff orpingtons), AND BUY ALL YOU WANT AT ONE TIME. I bought groups separately and at different times, but had to find other homes for my subsequent groups because I couldn't handle the harsh way chickens treat 'newcomers'. I would buy all one breed, because I found out chickens can be 'racist'! Also, have everything ready BEFORE you bring your chickens home. As for the outside facilities(coop, outside pen, etc.) I found it best to have MORE space than is what is recommended as it keeps chickens happier. Having said all this, I LOVE my seven girls (2 buff orpingtons, 2 silver-lace Wyandottes, and 3 barred rocks)! Oh, and DON'T think you are going to save alot of money by having your own chickens, if you are treating them right! Our reward is the freshest and HEALTHIEST eggs we could possibly have. I give my chickens vegetarian feed, mealworms, 'chicken speghetti' (whole grain thin speghetti, cooked, with speghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, ground carrots, cucumbers, squash, apples, etc.), chopped spinach. They also are allowed supervised free-range periods to catch their own bugs, worms, etc., which is one of the best times of my day...sitting outside watching the antics of those special little creatures and relaxing with good company, drink and just relaxing!

Chickey Monkey, sorry you can't stand the natural way chickens establish a pecking order. It can be hard to take. But if a person has chickens, at some point you're going to add more chickens, so learning how to brood different ages and how to introduce new chickens is a skill one will have to learn. My advice would be to understand what chickens are like through different ages. Usually chicks start to establish a pecking order at 6 weeks, when you'll see chest bumping or pecking to "get out of my way". A varied environment that allows plenty of "get away" space as well as enough waterers and feeders so no one is entirely kept from getting what they need by bullies, is how to manage both growing chicks and adults. There are various methods for introducing new chickens. For us personally, allowing them to see each other while free ranging (perhaps one is in a tractor or contained area where they can see each other but not get at each other) over a period of weeks and then sneak them into the coop during the night. This method has worked well for us, even with adding new roosters to the bachelor pad.

We haven't found chickens to be racist in the least. I have a Pyncheon bantam and EE who are best buddies. A Spitzhauben and a Sumatra who are gal pals. We've found who they are raised with, they tend to be closest with. But we see them mix it up with who they hang out with all the time. Just wanted to give a different viewpoint from the experience you shared.

 

[sonjap]

Recommend good books for beginners! I wanted to be ready when our chicks came home so I read books on chickens all winter. Most of them were poor in the infomation they had and were written in a way that would scare off most people from getting chickens.

Lisaajb, which books would you recommend? I'm a newbie and would like to learn as much as I can from some quality books.

 

[ange92040]

I LOVE this thread I read every single post and want to thank you for all the great info. I read books, magazines and searched the internet and it was this site that I found the best info. So thank you everything and I am glad that I have found this site and this thread.
Now that I have read though this site and thread I think we may try the brooder next yr, this time we bought 5mth olds because we were to scared to try the brooder and chicks

My advice would be just enjoy them and don't freak out when they are figuring out their pecking order.

Thanks again

 

[shifra928]

This has been my favorite thread by far!! So much info in one place.

I get my 4 chicks in about 3 weeks (one each Buff Orpington, Ameraucana, Plymouth Barred Rock, and Light Sussex) and found a coop that is build for 4-6 that I am IN LOVE WITH, also because it is built locally out of very sturdy materials (https://sites.google.com/site/theknottybirdcompany/deluxecoop). I have the spot for it all marked out in my small yard, even though our lot size is smaller than the local ordinance allows. But now all this talk about "chicken math" has me worried that the coop isn't big enough, lol!! And my hubby is mostly worried about our two little dogs eating the chickens. So far the books I've read are Aminal, Vegetable, Miracle (that insipred me to start all this, plus Forgotton Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen), Raising Chickens for Dummies, Keeping Chickens, Hobby Farms Chicken magazine, and another book I lost somewhere already. A friend loaned me a chick feeder, waterer, and heat lamp, which are all waiting in a big cardboard box inside a wire dog crate.

So, I'm ready - but very, very nervous! Thanks to all who say don't sweat it so much. I was less nervous when I had my kids, I swear!
P.S. Most friends and family think I am certifiably crazy.

 

[sonjap]

Ok, being a newbie chicken owner, (5 days!) I don't understand this "dust" that is being mentioned. I currently have my chicks in my the house, thinking it will get them used to me more quickly. It sounds like the dust thing can get pretty bad though. Is this something like dander or where does it come from? I'll move them out to the garage if I have to but I'm curious about it.

 

[Clay Mudd]

Lisaajb, which books would you recommend? I'm a newbie and would like to learn as much as I can from some quality books.

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.