What was your worst mistake as a chicken keeper?

[eveliens]

1. What did you do?
   
   Believed the internet that cockerels start crowing between 4-6 months. Bought more chicks than necessary because they were only available in SR and I read that a lot die (spoilers: they are all super healthy and I ended up with a ton of young chickens).
   
   
2. What were the consequences?
   
   Ended up with a buttload of cockerels, several of whom started crowing at 5-6 weeks. Scrambling to find homes because I live in an area not zoned for roosters and don't want to annoy the neighbors at 6am with what sounded like an underwater donkey bray LOL.
   
   
3. Did you fix it? How?
   
   Threw them up for rehoming on every relevant site possible. Still have 3 more to rehome but they haven't started crowing or fighting yet, so hopefully I will rehome them sooner rather than later.
   
   
4. What did you learn?
   
   Nothing Didn't even get the specific breed of pullet I wanted, so I'll probably try again next hatching season if I don't see one locally. Next time I'll probably look into auctions and swap meets instead of trying to rehome piecemeal on websites though.
   
   Bonus: Not chickens but quail - squirrels are a menace. They don't bother my chickens but they've killed 1 quail (scared it to death) and let several more loose in the yard because they can open simple latches. Two of the lost quail were never recovered. Simple latches were replaced with strong metal ones but the quail still get spooked when the squirrel loiter around. I've taken to shooing them off.

 

[Devyn Nagy]

I tried to introduce chicks in with hens while they were too young. With tragic consequences.

 

[bobbi-j]

1. What did you do?
I thought that my chicken coop needed to be closed up right with a heat lamp in our cold Minnesota winters.

2. What were the consequences?
Damp coop,unhealthy chickens with respiratory problems every spring (for more springs than I care to admit).

3. Did you fix it? How?
We made sure our coops had plenty of ventilation and dry bedding. No more heat lamps in the coop (we were using them to keep the water thawed and the chickens warm). We now use a heated dog bowl for water in the winter.

4. What did you learn?
We learned that chickens are happier and healthier with good ventilation and fresh air on the coop than they are with a heat lamp.

 

[Starburst]

1. What did you do?
When I first started keeping chickens, I bought a prefab chicken coop that was 2x3 feet with a 3x10 run, the advertisement saying that it could hold 12 chickens comfortably. (I can see you all sighing sadly and shaking your heads at my folly...) I didn't put 12 chickens in, only six (to start), and was quite proud of that little coop. For a while, that is.

2. What were the consequences?
Unhappy chickens! The poor girls were not very pleased with being squashed like sardines in a can in that coop, and there was bullying and illness galore! I never understood why they would always roost on the run roof (When coming back from free-ranging) instead of in their "cozy" coop. The coop only had two tiny slots for ventilation, and the "roosts" were about 1-2 inches off the ground, as pictured (from the website):

The exterior nesting boxes doors and the roof had a bit of asphalt on top of paper-thin wood. (Seriously. Three sheets of wood as thin as paper...) As a result of this and Washington rain, the doors and roof began to rot, and the coop was always moist and wet. It had a pull-out tray for cleaning, but it got stuck, and then the metal base part started cracking, the sharp metal edges now an issue for delicate chicken feet. These were only a few problems with the coop, and, in the end, it basically fell apart. (This looks like I'm complaining a lot about this coop, doesn't it? It really was my fault, not the coop's...I'm sure this chicken coop worked great for some people, but in my wet environment and amount of chickens, it didn't work out... In other words - Starburst should have done a lot more research before buying an expensive chicken coop...)
3. Did you fix it? How?
I did, and all my chickens are soooo much happier! I got a few more chickens (Totaling up to 14), and while those ones were still babies, I decided I really needed to make some changes. With the coop barely standing and me finally realizing that it was much too small for them, I, with the help of an incredible neighbor and God's Grace, designed and built a much bigger chicken coop, with nice, high up roosts, plenty of ventilation, a good, sturdy roof, and more! (It's also super cute... ) I now have 16 chickens, who are all very happy with their large coop, and they can't wait to head in to roost at night! I'm so glad I made the change!
4. What did you learn?
Even though I did a lot of research on chickens themselves before I got them, I, unfortunately, didn't do enough research on housing. I've learned that it is important to research everything thoroughly, especially in the case of taking living, breathing animals under your care. They're a big responsibility and should be treated with lots of love and care. And also - if possible, don't get prefabs!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I hate when I give into my broody hens and buy them babies! I then get attached to them and I have to rehome them because I can’t keep that many chickens. I would if I had more room. I will probably repeat that mistake in the future!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I once asked my boyfriend to let the chickens out because stupid Covid rules had me leaving for work by 5am, and it wasn’t getting light until almost 8am.

He didn’t let them out. He was home all day. I don’t keep water in the coop so they went 24 hours without water. I was so grateful there were no serious consequences.

I have never entrusted him to manage the birds ever again.

Don’t be too hard on him though, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t even have chickens or their beautiful coop. He’s just pretty forgetful.

————
Another mistake was building a sloppy rush job brooder to take in emergency guineas. A keet escaped and was pecked to the point of breaking its leg. I’ll never accept emergency animals again if I’m not prepared.


—————
I learned brand new hedge trimmers are not sharp enough to behead a rooster. his neck sorta folded over sideways in between the sheers as they closed and didn’t kill him. My boyfriend has always objected outright to being involved with butchering or mercy killing of any kind, but in the heat of the moment he stepped up and gave the rooster a good whack and finished him. So yeah. Don’t use sheers. Just don’t. Unfortunately I was given that advice on BYC. He was a awful rooster anyways so I didn’t feel too emotionally distraught over the situation.

 

[casportpony]

I learned brand new hedge trimmers are not sharp enough to behead a rooster. his neck sorta folded over sideways in between the sheers as they closed and didn’t kill him. My boyfriend has always objected outright to being involved with butchering or mercy killing of any kind, but in the heat of the moment he stepped up and gave the rooster a good whack and finished him. So yeah. Don’t use sheers. Just don’t. Unfortunately I was given that advice on BYC. He was a awful rooster anyways so I didn’t feel too emotionally distraught over the situation.

I had an epic fail euthanizing one too.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I had an epic fail euthanizing one too.

I feel like it is bound to happen to anyone when it comes to livestock management. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. Sorry you had to go through it too

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Kept male ducks (and females) in a chicken flock and they had a bowl for drinking water, no pool.

Thankfully nothing bad happened. No chickens were bred, his signaling didn't get stuck out from lack of water, but it could have gone very, very poorly

 

[Nola985]

1. What did you do?
Took advice on bumble foot “surgery”.

2. What were the consequences?
Stress and pain (even though she didn’t show it) and daily wrapping which I have since found stupid and completely unnecessary.

3. Did you fix it? How?
Yes. I now use Prid. Administered to the spot each night while on the roost. No cover. No vet wrap. In the morning, apply antibiotic ointment. Do this for a week. Completely healed without hurting my girls, without opening a wound to potential infection, or stressing them or myself unnecessarily. I’m so thankful I found a buried video of a vet tech talking about how it should be done and that evasive protocols were not warranted.

4. What did you learn?
Research. Research. Research. Just because countless ppl say it’s “what I’ve always done or do” doesn’t mean it’s right or the best. There are many ways to achieve a beneficial outcome and the most poplular doesn’t make it the way to go. The whole “surgery” protocol is archaic, completely unnecessary and needs to be ended.