What were your worst mistakes when you first started?

[Eggscaping]

Hi peoples!

May I ask about when you began keeping chickens? What were the worst mistakes (or any mistakes worth noting, for that matter) you made? What you either wouldn't do again, wouldn't do in THAT way, or so on? Or even "I don't consider it a MISTAKE, per se - but I'd do this in a different way now that I'm more experienced."
Thanks much!

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Two words- "Prefab Coop"
I'm fine with my coop- a Prefab with a hecka lot of improvements- added run, automattic door, added coop.

 

[Kiki]

This is going to be a great thread.


Not learning about biosecurity and chicken diseases before I got chickens.

 

[DobieLover]

Not having a walk-in style coop. My back is killing me.

 

[Mrs. K]

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

 

[Alexandra33]

Thinking young children and roosters don't mix under any circumstances, therefore, I must eliminate accidental cockerels. Turns out, this is completely false. Not all are the devil.

Wonderful thread idea, by the way! Can't wait for responses to come.

~Alex

 

[bobbi-j]

Like Mrs. K, I used to lock my coop up tight for the winter, and put in a heat lamp. Every winter there were respiratory issues and frostbite. Both have been greatly reduced after I stopped heating the coop and made sure they have plenty of ventilation.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Two words- "Prefab Coop"
I'm fine with my coop- a Prefab with a hecka lot of improvements- added run, automattic door, added coop.

Ditto!

 

[Eggscaping]

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[/QUOTE]

So...what do you mean by chicken math? Are you going by the info you get when looking at coop designs? Such as, "Suitable for 4-6 chickens" and so on? Or is there another relevant equation?

 

[MissChick@dee]

Thinking I could LOVE a rooster into being nice.

*im thinking is there a limit to this thread cause I could really take up space*​