What were your worst mistakes when you first started?

[Hugz21]

I view them as livestock and not lap pets. It helps. Most importantly, don't name them because eventually you'll have to eat all the extra boys.

Mine are most definitely pets. I've wanted chook pets for as long as I can remember. My Gran kept chooks, quails and canaries (on her 1acre in a tiny country town in NSW) . She never named any of them, which I considered a travesty, at the time. Looking back on it, the number she had probably wouldn't have been reasonable to name all of the them. I just loved petting them, watching them scratch in the dirt, collecting the eggs, feeding them kitchen scraps, raking the yard and even cleaning the nest boxes. I wanted my kids to have that too. We don't have any other pets. We'll probably get some more chicks in spring, but I might have to look into sex linked or older chicks to stop the "maybe rooster" factor

 

[danceswithronin]

Putting six month old chooks into an uncovered, unsupervised fenced run during the day. Had my cockerel get mauled by my dogs (he survived with no lasting injury) when he decided to jump the run fence and figured out that three dogs wanted to have him for dinner. I immediately netted over the entire run the next day. Now I'm planning a framed out aviary of lumber and wire over the entire run and coop, just too wet to set the posts/concrete right now.

 

[Blooie]

Oh, I know the mistake I made when I started! @Hugz21 just reminded me when she mentioned her Grandma! Thanks!

I didn’t take into account that my then-2-year old granddaughter would love the chickens so much and that she’d want to be part of all that fun chicken stuff just like her older sister. She has Spina Bifida and Autism, among other issues. Well, I didn’t think to make the doors on the coop and run wide enough to accommodate her in her wheelchair! We did make external nest boxes and she could get eggs in her little basket but the cover leaked so badly that after trying remedy after remedy we gave up, secured the opening against predators, and left it open for ventilation. Never did we dare hope that Kendra would love giving a big old Light Brahma rides on her lap, snuggle a Silkie roo, or would actually walk (in her braces and with the help of her Physical Therapist) from the coop to the house carrying her little red basket of eggs.

Long story, I know, but not thinking ahead that Kendra might be such a little chicken farmer was a colossal mistake. I darn sure should have made the yard and the coop more accessible for her. She’s 7 now, we no longer have chickens, but she still pulls herself up on the door and calls them. And thinking about handicapped accessibility for her makes me wonder how many people like me, (older and already at the point of moving slowly before we even start with chickens), should maybe give future limitations a thought or two when building.

 

[cmom]

We made plenty of mistakes. Every coop is different in ways. I did want the ability to walk into them. They were built over many years.

This is my favorite coop. Easy to clean out the poop pit.

There is a coyote on the right side of this picture. The chick grow-out coop.

This is the coop I use when I need to separate birds.

 

[Wendy Case]

I'm so glad you stuck with it but I'm sorry you lost hens in the process, that sucks!
My coop needs more ventilation for sure and a lot of improvements.... Starting next weekend! I can't wait to be as happy as you are with your coop! I'm adding 11 more pullets by July/August, can't wait!! To have a great coop with windows and plenty of ventilation will be awesome!
❤

My new coop is up and running!! Tons of ventilation that was my biggest thing. Tons of room, my second biggest thing. Also the coop and run TOTALLY protected with hardware cloth!! Almost finished the 'roof' just got to fit the rain gutter and we can finish the hardware cloth. The chickens LOVE it and the youngsters are sling zoomies everywhere! Surgically chasing the blackbirds that can get in right now. All that'll change in the coming week. Then I can paint after the trim is finished both inside and out. It's going to look AMAZING. All of them free range, but many of the youngsters prefer to stay in the run. I've added a box fan over the ventilation and it's amazing! So glad I had a box fan holder and a solid handle to hang it from!! Lots of high up air exchange without blowing on everyone.... And it's only on the low setting!! Bring on the heat!

 

[Wendy Case]

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My new coop is up and running!! Tons of ventilation that was my biggest thing. Tons of room, my second biggest thing. Also the coop and run TOTALLY protected with hardware cloth!! Almost finished the 'roof' just got to fit the rain gutter and we can finish the hardware cloth. The chickens LOVE it and the youngsters are sling zoomies everywhere! Surgically chasing the blackbirds that can get in right now. All that'll change in the coming week. Then I can paint. I've added a box fan over the ventilation and it's amazing! So glad I had a box fan holder and a solid handle to hang it from!! Lots of high up air exchange without blowing on everyone.... And it's only on the low setting!! Bring on the heat!

 

[Wendy Case]

Well, in that case, I saw this picture of chicks....and that was mistake number 1!

 

[Wendy Case]

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He's still hanging around! Lol
I read an article the other day that gave me hope! He only has four hens right now and that's going to change as I add another 11 pullets come July/August. He'll also be over a year old at that point and they'll all be free roaming. I've decided to hang on and see what a bit more maturity and a lot more girls will do for him. He could be on his knees and begging for his own mancave come September!
He came VERY CLOSE to being dispatched. He WILL be if he shows aggression to anyone else. He's wonderful with the flock and my hubby. I know the exact day and the reason his aggression started, but that's no excuse! He's not aggressive every day, in fact he was absolutely fine this morning.
Taking it day by day right now.
Thank you so much for replying though, that means a lot.

He passed about a month ago.

 

[Hermit]

He passed about a month ago.

I’m so sorry.

 

[Mimi13]

Our first coop was a pre-fab (it was given to us and we were thankful), but even at 5'2", I had to hunch over to add bedding, etc. into part of the coop. When we decided to get some chicks to add to our flock of 6 hens, my awesome hubby built my new coop! It's 7' in the front and slants down to 6' at the back. I have plenty of space to walk in, sit down and have some quality time with the girls. First picture is the pre-fab one (which is now used for the chicks until they're big enough to integrate with the flock), and the other two are the new coop.

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I love your coop.