What was your worst mistake as a chicken keeper?

[humblehillsfarm]

Cannibalized?!

Yes. Chickens are opportunistic, non-discriminatory eaters. Chickens will eat dead chickens.

My girls went nuts over the blood from butcher day..........

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Just because something hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that it can't happen.

Absolutely. And always expect the unexpected..... I planned for all the normal predators only to have my first ever predator attack occur from a massive starving young male black bear. I've learned a lot about bears since then.

Second predator attack was from a feral cat! Killed two six-week old chicks

 

[Driley62]

So far it was my first coop. Built with some salvaged material. But framing was still dimensional from a lumber yard...at the height of the pandemic...it still cost me more to build than the new one I built. Framing lumber, screws, hardware and gusset plates for the roof(because the plywood trick as plates wasn't working for whatever reason) was all I bought and it still cost over 400.

Fast forward to the new coop. 2x4s are reclaimed from decked big rigs that are undecided in my area(godfather manages the company here) and told me to come get a bunch as they just get thrown out...just gotta strip lights fastened on with nails... cool free! Then purchased rough cut from a local mill. Purchased screws, roofing nails(had extra shingles that won't be used for any reason here soon...putting tin on the house), dripedge, hardware and cloth to cover what I didn't have. Also got a fence charger, insulators, poultry and poultry wire...all for about 100 bucks more than my first coop! This was all before dimensional lumber prices started to fall back to nornal!.

Oh! And chicken math is another mistake! Damn chicken math!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Cannibalized?!

Yep, a Buff Orpington I hatched, that my sister claimed, & named Buffy was missing out of the bunch. I found her buried under some grass we threw in there all hollowed out, & some her skin was eaten too. She was also plucked from the head down. They ate her feathers, & internal organs.

 

[Fuchsia]

The biggest mistake I’ve made is probably when I bought 10 straight run chicks and hoped that I’d get only a few cockerels…I ended up with all 10 being cockerels

 

[humblehillsfarm]

The biggest mistake I’ve made is probably when I bought 10 straight run chicks and hoped that I’d get only a few cockerels…I ended up with all 10 being cockerels

I am starting to think “straight runs” are just cockerels the hatchery couldn’t sell so they lie. There are just too many stories like this!!!!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I would have to say, underestimating just how much I would come to LOVE THEM! ❤

Then...of course...
CHICKEN MATH!!!

 

[Fuchsia]

I am starting to think “straight runs” are just cockerels the hatchery couldn’t sell so they lie. There are just too many stories like this!!!!

I know, I kinda wondered that myself
I’ve gotten quite a few straight runs and out of all of them I got 1 girl

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I know, I kinda wondered that myself
I’ve gotten quite a few straight runs and out of all of them I got 1 girl

I just don’t get why they can’t advertise them as a “fry pan bargain” that’s what Meyer Hatchery does. It’s all the leftover roosters that aren’t classically designated as meat chickens.

 

[Isadora]

I know, I kinda wondered that myself
I’ve gotten quite a few straight runs and out of all of them I got 1 girl

I forget where I read it, but I remember reading somewhere that the hatcheries do the sexed orders first, and then fill the straight run orders, so the likelihood of getting more boys in the second batch is much greater. Batch is much greater.