What were your BEST mistakes in poultry keeping?

[Killer Tomato]

Okay, but if you do find a nice house for $100, please let me know.

Not only are we on the wrong coast for that, we're on the wrong continent!!!

 

[JedJackson]

Not only are we on the wrong coast for that, we're on the wrong continent!!!

Yeah, it was worth a try.

 

[cmom]

I've went through all of the ups and downs raising chickens. Keeping them safe by putting electric wire around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates and a heavy duty netting covering all of the pens. We built shade/rain tables for all of the pens for shelter from the sun and rain. Several years ago I planted shade trees in all of the pens and now they are turning into nice shade for the birds during out hot summers. All but one coop I can walk into, and collecting the eggs from outside the coops.

 

[Pugsabi]

My biggest mistake was bringing my mother to pick out my pullets. I have flock restraints and had already researched and plotted out which birds I was going to get. However, when we get there, the first thing my mother says is that she wanted a white one.
Not only did I not plan to have a 'boring' white bird, I didn't want a Leghorn, which was the only white bird the feed store advertised.
A few months later, not only does my girl consistently lay one egg a day, she lays brown eggs and has red earlobes. She's not a Leghorn but a white Plymouth Rock!

 

[cmom]

My white birds aren't boring to me. I have White Leghorns and Rhode Island Whites along with some other breeds. My Rhode Island Whites are very good layers next to my Leghorns. It's just personal preference.

 

[lilmillefleur]

We went to a certain farm to pick out our chickens. (Regrets...) My sister had her heart set on silkies but the guy didn't have any. So she brought home a cute speckled bantam instead. She was a mille fleur d'Uccle and she became a fast favorite. She introduced us to the breed and now d'Uccles are one of my favorites <3

 

[Pugsabi]

My white birds aren't boring to me. I have White Leghorns and Rhode Island Whites along with some other breeds. My Rhode Island Whites are very good layers next to my Leghorns. It's just personal preference.

Oh I agree. It's just growing up I thought white leghorns were the only types of chickens that existed. When I decided to get chickens and looked them up online, I realized that there were many many different types and colors out there. I am only supposed to have four chickens (I have 6) and I wanted a really visually striking flock. And a white chicken wasn't in the plan. I wouldn't trade her now, but at the time I was a bit disappointed.

I know that some people really love them and that they are great birds so I'm not insulting them.

 

[Cyprus]

My BEST mistake was going to a poultry swap with a friend and buying the first birds to catch my attention.

Those speckled orange chickens with beards and funny feathered feet ended up being D'Uccles. They introduced me to bantams and the breed and ever since I've been hooked. Now I am intending to be a certified D'Uccle breeder.

 

[cmom]

Everyone is different with different preferences. I'm one of the few who breed Rhode Island Whites. The bird in the middle picture is the father to the bird on the left. The RIW's are very good layers of light brown eggs.
Lucky and Shemp and a flock of RIW's