What was your worst mistake as a chicken keeper?

[humblehillsfarm]

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.

What a rip off!!!!

 

[Gizabelle]

I didn't walk away immediately after realizing the chickens I was going to purchase were kept in unhealthy conditions. Bought two young hens anyway (companions for a lone hen at the time) Both were very sick.
Spent tons of time and money trying to rehab them. One recovered only to lay a single egg before being lost to the neighbor's dog. The other lived about 6 months before having to be euthanized. Thankfully, my original hen did not catch anything from them (that I'm aware of)
I learned so much about basic health check practices and treating illness, but man was it a tough lesson. Never ever again will I buy mature birds unless the keeper is just as concerned with proper husbandry and bio security as I now am.

 

[FeatherTay]

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

That’s just what happens right? It’s never all 10 pullets.

 

[Fuchsia]

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.

I remember reading that too, it was quite awhile ago though.

 

[Isadora]

That’s just what happens right? It’s never all 10 pullets.

I did buy random assorted straight run chicks from rural King this year. All 18 were females.

 

[casportpony]

Never expected to see this on the homepage!

Congrats!

 

[FeatherTay]

I did buy random assorted straight run chicks from rural King this year. All 18 were females.

Where did you get your luck? Can I have some?

 

[3KillerBs]

I guess I didn't understand the OP was spraying meds. I spray a commercial grade insecticide after a thorough coop cleaning, it helps to eliminate flies as well. My coop is a converted corn crib, so it has a concrete floor. I don't spray my chickens though.

It's called DemandCS, it's a microencapsulated synthetic pyrethroid & is safe for people, food or livestock. (edit)

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If it's not mites and lice on the birds or termites and carpenter ants eating the wood then I don't care about bugs in the coop. Any bug brave enough to come within range of a hungry chicken is known as "extra protein".

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

My worst mistake? Hatching chicks. Now I have 5 roosters. What did I do? Nothing so far, I can’t bring myself to kill them, they follow me everywhere like puppies! What I learned? I am always buying from TSC now.
( I’m sure there are many more mistakes, and maybe I’ll share more later. )

 

[Isadora]

Where did you get your luck? Can I have some?

I wonder if they combined a few sexed bins into one bin or something (They were selling them at a discount because the chicks were getting old) Otherwise that luck is extremely unusual!
Then, ironically, the sexed Easter eggers I ordered from the hatchery had a rooster mixed in.