What were your worst mistakes when you first started?

[Cragg Klefor]

Ok I've got a new one... this just happened, but perhaps someone can learn in advance.
Fencing Rats into my chicken runs!!!! Rat problem at the moment. I thought I had annoyed them all out of there this evening, so I extended my apron (from 5 foot to 10!!!!). There is a 2 meter length alongside one of my runs where I didn't bury the wire (Herein lies the learning people), I did put an apron of 5 ft with hardware cloth but this was my first run and the wire I used was unfortunately Pine Marten friendly... that was buried, but useless. I had covered this with hardware cloth including an apron, but didn't bury this section. The rats are tunneling under the apron along that section. After laying the apron extension this evening I saw the sensor light come on out there and went out to investigate. Cheeky rat sprinted across in front of me and dived down a new rat hole. Now, he can't get out. And he was a young one..so I doubt he is alone
First job tomorrow.... take back up that section, dig, bury, and em.... don't know how I'm going to get them out without letting others in. And there are others
They laugh at my traps.

Lesson to newbies.... Bury the wire, and place aprons. From the beginning.

 

[harveyhorses]

Building a coop too small and awkward.
Trusting a friend to shut them in at night, I have a converted shed, and 4 x 8 is their secure coop, the other is their covered play area, she only shut the big outside door, despite written signs and instructions. Raccoon dug under the door and killed and ate one right in front of her sisters.
Not remembering that snow WILL ground out poultry netting.
lost 3 in less than 2 weeks.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Ok I've got a new one... this just happened, but perhaps someone can learn in advance.
Fencing Rats into my chicken runs!!!! Rat problem at the moment. I thought I had annoyed them all out of there this evening, so I extended my apron (from 5 foot to 10!!!!). There is a 2 meter length alongside one of my runs where I didn't bury the wire (Herein lies the learning people), I did put an apron of 5 ft with hardware cloth but this was my first run and the wire I used was unfortunately Pine Marten friendly... that was buried, but useless. I had covered this with hardware cloth including an apron, but didn't bury this section. The rats are tunneling under the apron along that section. After laying the apron extension this evening I saw the sensor light come on out there and went out to investigate. Cheeky rat sprinted across in front of me and dived down a new rat hole. Now, he can't get out. And he was a young one..so I doubt he is alone
First job tomorrow.... take back up that section, dig, bury, and em.... don't know how I'm going to get them out without letting others in. And there are others
They laugh at my traps.

Lesson to newbies.... Bury the wire, and place aprons. From the beginning.

I really feel for you, having a rat problem can be a nightmare, but I'm not sure putting an apron any length would help as rats tunnel. The very little I know about rats is that they will have more than one exit/entrance to their burrow and the majority of rats travel through tunnel systems and will have tunnels from their burrows right to their food source, they can travel underground further than 10 foot, rats have been known to travel underground up to 4 miles. I'm thinking maybe its time to call in Rentokil?

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Building a coop too small and awkward.
Trusting a friend to shut them in at night, I have a converted shed, and 4 x 8 is their secure coop, the other is their covered play area, she only shut the big outside door, despite written signs and instructions. Raccoon dug under the door and killed and ate one right in front of her sisters.
Not remembering that snow WILL ground out poultry netting.
lost 3 in less than 2 weeks.

So very sorry for your losses, its never easy
If you don't mind please could you explain what you mean by 'ground out'

 

[BarnGems]

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

Another reason to not trust anything that has testicles

 

[MissChick@dee]

Another reason to not trust anything that has testicles

Bwahahaa

 

[BarnGems]

My worst: Thinking that bird netting (stuff you put on trees to keep birds off the fruit) was good enough to keep a racoon out of my brooder box inside my barn because his claws would get all wrapped up in it.

 

[MissChick@dee]

My worst: Thinking that bird netting (stuff you put on trees to keep birds off the fruit) was good enough to keep a racoon out of my brooder box inside my barn because his claws would get all wrapped up in it.

Kinda hard to post a like on some of these life lessons. Just acknowledging cause who the heck could? So sorry for your your loss.

 

[BarnGems]

*Chickens = rats = snakes. Building a fox proof coop is one thing. Building a rat proof coop is much harder. Especially if you're retrofitting.

Omg I seriously hope you are wrong. I have been fighting the retrofit battle for a year and hoped I had it licked. But if chickens = rats , I havn't seen rats. Guess I now have something else to worry on.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Another reason to not trust anything that has testicles