What is your "If only someone had told me!" moment?

[Skink]

I'm very new to chickens, but I've been dealing with the husbandry of many other critters for a long time. When I was new to it all, I fumbled and stumbled despite thinking myself a well armored champion of knowledge after many hours of research... experience is the best teacher in all ways, but I still look back wistfully from time to time and think if only I had known, or if only someone had told me! With my chicks on the way, I want to be confident that I've prepared myself well... but I've still got an anxiety hungry for more information to do as well by them as possible, to make them suffer my newbie trip-ups as little as possible.

Experienced chicken keepers, what things have you ever wished was knowledge available to you when you ventured in to chicken keeping? A lot of us asking questions in this part of the forum are probably new, and sharing your fledgling flubs might help us out! I know I for one would appreciate it!

 

[perchie.girl]

Chicken Math..... you build for three hens and you wind up with six.... Always double your estimate of capacity.....

and your lack of self control when you go to the feedstore....

I had a pretty good mentor when I jumped in.... Dad turned his back on farming but he came away with all the stuff his dad taught him.

One of the best advice is not to Anthropomorphize. like "Omg my hen hates me because she wont come near me" Or one hen chases another pulling out feathers shes bullying.... That's pretty much chicken life.... Hen pecking and hierarchy... Normal squabbles..

Good luck and have lots of fun.

deb

 

[browland84]

I'd love to know as well!

 

[Blooie]

I knew that there would be a lot of chicken poop, especially when the "chicken math" my friend Deb mentioned kicked in. I just wish someone had told me that it's STICKY!

 

[perchie.girl]

Oh and watch out for that Juicy poo they do a couple of times per day..... PEEYOU....

its a Cecal poo totally normal but if you have dogs THAT is the one they are going to dab behind their ears... Eau De Poo.....

deb

 

[ochochicas]

That's funny Deb! We wanted four, but ended up with with eight chicks at the store, plus two more hens I just picked up from the internet. Now with ten potential hens it looks like I'll be selling a lot of eggs since I'm not particularly fond of the taste.

Ditto on the poo. I wish someone would have warned me not to let the chicks on the carpet. Most of their poops are nice and solid, but if one of the runny poos gets on the rug you practically need a carpet cleaner to get it out.

I was also not prepared for how fast they would grow. The famous eight have already outgrown their original brooder. We've moved them into our enclosed shower during the day. At four weeks old they are flying pretty well and are getting good at escaping.

 

[daniellecm]

Im pretty new to chicks have 4 3 week old (hoping pullets) im sure there are going to be a lot of things I wished I knew after. But im wondering why I didnt know earlier how much fun they are.would have had then years ago!

 

[perchie.girl]

That's funny Deb! We wanted four, but ended up with with eight chicks at the store, plus two more hens I just picked up from the internet. Now with ten potential hens it looks like I'll be selling a lot of eggs since I'm not particularly fond of the taste.

Ditto on the poo. I wish someone would have warned me not to let the chicks on the carpet. Most of their poops are nice and solid, but if one of the runny poos gets on the rug you practically need a carpet cleaner to get it out.

I was also not prepared for how fast they would grow. The famous eight have already outgrown their original brooder. We've moved them into out enclosed shower during the day. At four weeks old they are flying pretty well and are getting good at escaping.

LOL.... Try Raising Guinea Fowl... My fav... At two weeks they can fly six feet and they are wilder than a march hare. Oh you so need to get those chicks out of the house... Can you rig a heat lamp in the coop in a draft free location...

deb "LOL The "Famous Eight"

"

 

[perchie.girl]

Im pretty new to chicks have 4 3 week old (hoping pullets) im sure there are going to be a lot of things I wished I knew after. But im wondering why I didnt know earlier how much fun they are.would have had then years ago!

They are a total Crack up....

especially when they play keep away.... sort of like soccer. Or they drop where the get tired wings out beak down legs out back....

deb

 

[ochochicas]

The chicks are SOOOO funny. Even the older hens are entertaining. If I had known how funny they would be I would have had chicks years ago. This week I've been late to work every single day because I'm too busy watching the chicks in the morning instead of getting ready to leave.