We live and learn, it's sometimes tough figuring out the right way to go about raising chickens. There are a lot of things you don't think of when researching chicken care and getting started with your first flock.
I've made some mistakes along the way. And I worry at times I'll make worse ones in the future. But the important thing is we're doing the best for our birds and that we learn from each mishap. So share your stories and hopefully we can speed along this process by learning from each other.
I raised all my flock from chicks we purchases in feed supply stores. Next year I'm thinking since I have a roo now we'll see how they do raising their own chicks.
My biggest mistake came with my second batch of birds. For keeping them I used a dog crate for easier cleaning. I lined the walls with cardboard so none of them would get caught in the bars and thought that'd be the end of it.
One day I went to check on my chicks, and I found that two of my chicks managed to get between the cardboard and the crate, trapping them. It was horrifying to find, I thought these two chicks were goners with how still they'd become. I got them out, the chick on top turned out perfectly fine. She went back with her friends with no issue. The one under her however wasn't doing too well. Her wings were bruised and her leg was twisted, I put her in a box, moved the healthy chicks to a less dangerous enclosure I scavenged together (I used a plastic tote with a wire top), and took my injured chicky to a vet. She survived this ordeal and went on to be perfectly healthy after being hobbled and given time to heal.
So yeah, when people say don't use wire dog crates, that doesn't mean you can modify the crate and make it safe. Things can always go wrong and maybe it's better to use an enclosure more suited for baby chicks. But also, don't panic and assume the chick is dead, they are resilient little creatures sometimes and can surprise you if you give them the chance.
I've made some mistakes along the way. And I worry at times I'll make worse ones in the future. But the important thing is we're doing the best for our birds and that we learn from each mishap. So share your stories and hopefully we can speed along this process by learning from each other.
I raised all my flock from chicks we purchases in feed supply stores. Next year I'm thinking since I have a roo now we'll see how they do raising their own chicks.
My biggest mistake came with my second batch of birds. For keeping them I used a dog crate for easier cleaning. I lined the walls with cardboard so none of them would get caught in the bars and thought that'd be the end of it.
One day I went to check on my chicks, and I found that two of my chicks managed to get between the cardboard and the crate, trapping them. It was horrifying to find, I thought these two chicks were goners with how still they'd become. I got them out, the chick on top turned out perfectly fine. She went back with her friends with no issue. The one under her however wasn't doing too well. Her wings were bruised and her leg was twisted, I put her in a box, moved the healthy chicks to a less dangerous enclosure I scavenged together (I used a plastic tote with a wire top), and took my injured chicky to a vet. She survived this ordeal and went on to be perfectly healthy after being hobbled and given time to heal.
So yeah, when people say don't use wire dog crates, that doesn't mean you can modify the crate and make it safe. Things can always go wrong and maybe it's better to use an enclosure more suited for baby chicks. But also, don't panic and assume the chick is dead, they are resilient little creatures sometimes and can surprise you if you give them the chance.
), who I thought was wild. One time I held her and she panicked and flapped, and from them on I though she was completely wild and untamed. I avoided holding her unless it was necessary, and advised others to do the same. Because of her lack of human contact she grew much more wild (though she wasn't at all wild before) and our relationship faded. When she died a couple years later (animal attack) I felt like I didn't know her very well and regretted not spending more time with her. Those who keep chickens for eggs, pets, or something else might not understand but for me the chickens were my pets (though my parents kept them for eggs) and each one mattered.
