What were your worst mistakes when you first started?

[aart]

If the chickens are already fairly tame to you, walking up to them and picking them up does work. If you chase them they will still run, but if you walk over slowly and calmly they should either stay in place or walk off a little before "giving up." I also find it helps if you approach them while crouching down the last few steps, as that is less threatening to them. I do not try to lure them in with food and then grab them, as I don't want them to be fearful that treats = being grabbed.

Yep, slowly with arms out, and into a corner, often works.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I have these huge (square) beach towels that have become chicken towels. I put them on my lap and the girls jump on. If I sit in a low chair (like a beach chair) and spread the towel across my lap and the grass, they will come join me for a sit. I’ll see if so have a decent photo of this!

Found a few... but Bridgey (Barred Rock) prefers to sit on my jeans.

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Ohhhh how wonderful! And how each is sitting with you, the little darlings they are beautiful!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It's one of the most important and overlooked parts of designing a coop...
...not everyone can spend days at the 'beach' to tame their chickens

The last several buildings I built have access doors right at the roost. I can stand outside the building and still pluck any bird off of the roost.
Below the roost access doors (where I also have access to fill bulk feeders) are nest box doors. This area is also under roof so I can feed, water, collect eggs and handle chickens out of inclement weather but still not go into a building.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Mine had already started laying and were already laying everyday before I'd moved them from grower feed onto layer feed, so I don't expect they'll be any difference in egg production, however I'm finding my girls aren't so keen on the stuff and are opting to eat the ducks food instead. I'm from the UK and it is illegal to feed chickens kitchen/table scraps over here, in fact it is illegal for anything they eat to be inside anywhere in the home, so I have to buy their fruit and veg separate and take it through the back gate straight into the shed and would be too expensive not to feed them chicken feed.

 

[aart]

I'm from the UK and it is illegal to feed chickens kitchen/table scraps over here

Seriously?!?! Is that law enforced and how?

 

[micstrachan]

Ohhhh how wonderful! And how each is sitting with you, the little darlings they are beautiful!

Aww, thank you! I do love them!

 

[micstrachan]

Mine had already started laying and were already laying everyday before I'd moved them from grower feed onto layer feed, so I don't expect they'll be any difference in egg production, however I'm finding my girls aren't so keen on the stuff and are opting to eat the ducks food instead. I'm from the UK and it is illegal to feed chickens kitchen/table scraps over here, in fact it is illegal for anything they eat to be inside anywhere in the home, so I have to buy their fruit and veg separate and take it through the back gate straight into the shed and would be too expensive not to feed them chicken feed.

Wow! Really? Do you know the rationale behind this?

 

[micstrachan]

The last several buildings I built have access doors right at the roost. I can stand outside the building and still pluck any bird off of the roost.
Below the roost access doors (where I also have access to fill bulk feeders) are nest box doors. This area is also under roof so I can feed, water, collect eggs and handle chickens out of inclement weather but still not go into a building.

I like it!

 

[BY Bob]

Mine had already started laying and were already laying everyday before I'd moved them from grower feed onto layer feed, so I don't expect they'll be any difference in egg production, however I'm finding my girls aren't so keen on the stuff and are opting to eat the ducks food instead. I'm from the UK and it is illegal to feed chickens kitchen/table scraps over here, in fact it is illegal for anything they eat to be inside anywhere in the home, so I have to buy their fruit and veg separate and take it through the back gate straight into the shed and would be too expensive not to feed them chicken feed.

That's just crazy. What is the rational behind that law?

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Wow! Really? Do you know the rationale behind this?

@BY Bob @micstrachan To stop the spread of diseases - its not only chickens but pigs and every other 'farm' type animal. it is to prevent animals from contracting diseases from contaminated foods and passing it on.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency state: This is to prevent the introduction and spread of potentially devastating notifiable animal diseases, such as African and Classical Swine Fever, and Foot and Mouth disease. These diseases cause significant animal health and welfare problems and damage to the economy.

If I want to give my birds scraps, I have to do so before it reaches my home or any home for that matter, i.e if I buy carrots take them into my garden via my back gate, peel them outside and feed the peel to my birds without the peel having ever entered mine or any home then I am within the law but if I were to take the carrots into my home, peel them and then feed the peel to my birds I would be breaking the law and I believe this law carries a two year prison sentence.

It is also illegal to feed chickens imported mealworms, or any mealworms not farmed in the UK, as it is impossible to know if the worms have ingested meat proteins, so the worm could be carrying BSE (mad cows disease) which could be passed onto humans through consumption of eggs or bird meat. However it is ok to feed imported mealworms to other pets and also to wild birds.