What was your worst mistake as a chicken keeper?

[PippinTheChicken]

We learn from our mistakes, right? Even pros and experts make mistakes.
I was wondering what your biggest mistakes were as chicken keepers.
Maybe newbies could find this thread and learn from it.

1. What did you do?
2. What were the consequences?
3. Did you fix it? How?
4. What did you learn?

Please remember, we all make mistakes. Please do not belittle or bully ANYONE for their mistakes.

 

[Sally PB]

Worst mistake:
Buying 3 straight run chicks at TSC, thinking I had 1 chance in 8 that they would be all cockerels.

Consequences:
I ended up with all cockerels. (I think "straight run" means they can't tell if it's a pullet, ie, it's probably a cockerel.) At 4 months, they became hormonal teenagers, harassing the 3 pullets I also bought, to the point the girls wouldn't get off the roost. They also became aggressive with me.

How I fixed it:
2 of the 3 had to go. I didn't have anything set up for culling them, so I caught them in a fishing net, took them behind the coop, and shot them. Then I cried, hard. It wasn't their fault they were male. I buried them in my garden, and I thank them for their contribution to the soil.

What I learned:
Do not buy straight run unless I have a plan for dealing with multiple cockerels. I will apply this lesson to hatching eggs, if I hatch some. I generalize this lesson to be: have a plan for ANY bird that doesn't work in my flock.

 

[Kaesi2020]

1. I left my chickens unattended while free ranging one evening at dusk
2. A bobcat killed one of my chickens ten feet from my front door!
3. Not yet but we are working on it. My husband is going to put out sets and trap it. We are also only doing strict supervised free ranging now (always within ten feet of the birds)
4. I learned to never let my guard down or leave the chickens alone free ranging, especially where we live in the country. I learned how sly these predators can be and how they continue to revisit...

 

[3KillerBs]

1. What did you do?

Built a half-high run on the original version of the Little Monitor Coop. We were trying to save the cost of another roll of hardware cloth.

2. What were the consequences?

Cleaning was a nightmare and collecting run eggs or anything else that needed access under the coop required sending a child in with a hoe.

3. Did you fix it? How?

It could not be fixed under those circumstances. We just had to live with it.

4. What did you learn?

Nothing, apparently. I accepted the gift of another half-high structure this spring, turned it into a brooder and had this happen last month.

More seriously, build your coop and run considering your ability to access every nook and cranny. Hardware cloth is cheaper than chiropractors (not to mention the ER).

 

[Isadora]

I don't think I've made it yet! It's only a matter of time, I'm sure.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't think I've made it yet! It's only a matter of time, I'm sure.

I like to learn from others' mistakes. It gives me the opportunity to make new, original mistakes.

 

[Smileybans]

1. What did you do?
I didn’t follow the instructions and listened to someone online about a no crow collar. I used a no crow collar that was too small for my rooster, tightened it too much and put it in the wrong position.

2. What we’re the consequences?
I lost my best and favorite rooster, Fuzzy. He was the first chicken I ever owned. The one that started it all. I found him dead on his back the very next morning. He got a burial in my rose garden and a pretty headstone. The headstone is all that’s left, thanks to a fox, but that’s another mistake I made. Not burying him deep enough. I lost him twice in one week.

3. Did you fix it? How?
I took the no crow collars off my other roosters. I try not use them if I don’t have to. If I will have to, I will use them right and take them off at night. I am also raising a Fuzzy offspring. A rooster to keep his genes and memory alive.

4. What did you learn?
You hear it time and time again. Not all the advice on the internet is good advice. Not everyone’s experiences or situations are the same. Just because someone else had better luck with the collar working higher up doesn’t mean you should put it there. The no crow collar directions are there for a reason. If it isn’t working for your rooster then it isn’t the collar. It’s the way the collar is sitting on the rooster. Don’t use them if you don’t have to. Roosters are beautiful. Let them make the noise they’re going to make.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I didn't expect so many replies.
I'll share my mistake.

1.What did you do?
when I first started chicken keeping, I didn't know about how bad prefabs are (and how addicted I'd get to chickens/ how many I'd get) and I bought one.

2.What were the consequences?
Luckily, it's really big but I still can't have as many chickens as I want. I dream of a huge walk-in coop.

3.Did you fix it? How?
I couldn't fix it, it would be a waste of money and I can't afford a larger coop. I'm lucky that all my chickens are okay and fit in well.

4.What did you learn?
Don't get prefabs, especially if you are planning to have a multiple generation flock

 

[PippinTheChicken]

One time I forgot to open the coop in the morning. Luckily at the time I only had 2 chickens and they were both broody
Now I have an automatic door

 

[Iluveggers]

I didn't expect so many replies.
I'll share my mistake.

1.What did you do?
when I first started chicken keeping, I didn't know about how bad prefabs are (and how addicted I'd get to chickens/ how many I'd get) and I bought one.

2.What were the consequences?
Luckily, it's really big but I still can't have as many chickens as I want. I dream of a huge walk-in coop.

3.Did you fix it? How?
I couldn't fix it, it would be a waste of money and I can't afford a larger coop. I'm lucky that all my chickens are okay and fit in well.

4.What did you learn?
Don't get prefabs, especially if you are planning to have a multiple generation flock

Just curious what prefab you went with? I haven’t seen any I’d consider “really big” lol. Luckily we went with a modified shed, I’m not the handiest builder.