What were your worst mistakes when you first started?

[Mcse4u]

Mistake-Buying newly hatched chicks at a swap meet from uninformed people.
Bought two Easter egger hens, and one was a rooster and had to go because it’s not allowed in my community. Raised the pretty thing until about 12 weeks old until it started crowing. Waste of time, money and energy. I’ll stick to tractor supply from now on for any new members to my flock.

 

[homer734]

Closing up the coop trying to keep it warm. One needs a walk in coop, and you need enough ventilation. Don't think warm, think DRY.

And chicken math, once you recognize tension in the flock from too many birds, you will never go back. It sneaks up on you, but a predator helped me out the first time, and I realized they were so much more happy with less chickens in there.

Mrs K

I have an old well house turned into a coop. I sided it with white pine board and batten. Up high I installed a octagon vent roughly 14 inches across. The rest of the coop is pretty tight at night and then all day an automatic door is open down low. Is this enough ventilation? I have 12 chickens and 4 guineas in there. Thanks

 

[No More Empty Nest]

I used to feed and water wild birds. Still have a colony of sparrows that live in my yard.
The Hawks would just wait for them. Little did I know I was providing them with a buffet.
What WAS I thinking?

oh my gosh, yes, I just found this out! I've always fed wild birds and just got chickens in August. We have a cooper's hawk that comes to our yard and a peregrine falcon that actually dives into a bush by the feeder to get at the birds hiding from him. We used to like seeing them around till they started attacking the birds at the feeder. And now this week, I couldn't let my chickens out for 3 days because one or the other was in the yard. Needless to say, I'm going to have to stop feeding the wild birds and we now run outside waving arms and making loud noises whenever we see them. And no way are my chickens going out unless I'm there looking all around, checking tall trees and the sky.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

I made my worst mistake today. I live in southeastern Virginia and we are currently experiencing a nor'easter. A cold nasty rain and high winds. After worrying last night and into the morning about letting my girls out in this mess and reading posts about letting them make their own decision, I decided to follow the normal schedule. I let them out and they were happy, proceed with my day and go out around 4-4:30 in the afternoon to give them a night time treat, and all of them come running to me. They are soaked. I don't know where they spent the day but staying in the coop or in the run or even near the coop obviously did not occur to my girls. I herded them into the coop and made sure everyone was roosting. I guess they will dry out. It is going to rain again tomorrow and they will have their meals and water in bed.

You really made me laugh. My Mom had pet bantams on her farm waaay back when and the story has always been that they were so spoiled they didn't know enough to come in from the rain. She would have to go out in the rain and take them to the coop.

 

[MissChick@dee]

I have an old well house turned into a coop. I sided it with white pine board and batten. Up high I installed a octagon vent roughly 14 inches across. The rest of the coop is pretty tight at night and then all day an automatic door is open down low. Is this enough ventilation? I have 12 chickens and 4 guineas in there. Thanks

Sure sounds like it. We’d love pictures!!!! I’m not sure what a well house looks like.

 

[MissChick@dee]

You really made me laugh. My Mom had pet bantams on her farm waaay back when and the story has always been that they were so spoiled they didn't know enough to come in from the rain. She would have to go out in the rain and take them to the coop.
View attachment 1612229

 

[HeyHo]

Great thread, learning a lot! We all make mistakes but it definitely is nice NOT to have to learn everything the hard way.

I'm still new, but my biggest mistake was not posting here when I had a sick chick. I tried to cobble together advice from other, related threads. I should have posted a picture and begged for help. RIP Lulu. It might not have made a difference, but I'll never know. So now I ask any questions I have. Maybe too many.

 

[perchie.girl]

thanks to Cathy Here is my post sans Zeros....

My addition to this is Guinea Fowl. the chicks are called Keets. In case someone didn't know. had a job in town about enough time to raise up some guineas and take em home.

My big mistake was raising up 45 Guinea Keets in a Blue tub.... Albeit a sixty gallon one but Clearly Not enough for so many Reprobates....

Did you know Guinea Keets can FLY at two weeks.... straight up and fall in the garage accumulation... My second mistake

Did you know when Mom decides to help me and dumps a Whole gallon of water in the bedding You cant see it till you notice all the keets are WET

Did you know they can fall asleep in full flight and when you open the top to fish out the dead one they all shoot up for ESCAPE. Dead one in the lead

Did you know that 45 keets can eat fifty pounds of Game bird starter in TWO WEEKS

Did you know the cage you bought just to put the Tween agers in wasn't NEARLY big enough.

And you can make an almost acceptable cage out of two lengths of PVC and two rolls of Green plastic cage wire.... oh and They are now up to a hundred pounds of feed....

And once you are ready to bring them up to the coop at home.... you cant lift said cage filled with keets.....

and When you transfer the little baconheads from cage to cage they can escape and land on the roof and stand there screaming at you By the way that's the default setting on Guinea Fowl....

Did you know that a fish landing net set at full length can net a Tween ager in full flight....

Roughly two third survived my ministrations... Next time I will brood IN the coop..

oh and moms Garage has never been quite right again....


o yes there will be a next time.....


I refuse to remove the elipses

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have an old well house turned into a coop. I sided it with white pine board and batten. Up high I installed a octagon vent roughly 14 inches across. The rest of the coop is pretty tight at night and then all day an automatic door is open down low. Is this enough ventilation? I have 12 chickens and 4 guineas in there. Thanks

You're better off making a new thread, your question will get lost on this one. Also photos, your location, and exact measurements of the building help immensely.

Minimum recommended ventilation for chickens at least is 1 sq ft per bird or 10% of floor space, whichever is greater. You'll need to measure your vents and do some calculations.

 

[EggWalrus]

Really.....not knowing that my rooster wiggles on my lap could leave a wet spot
I felt so dirty and violated.
Things went down a little differently when he’d mount the top of my shoe

Ewwwwww!
That's nasty!