8 Mistakes You Might Be Making With Your Chickens

Keeping chickens, whether for eggs, meat or as pets is a fun and easy way to add a little happiness and sustenance to your life.

There are some common mistakes you might be making, however.

We’ve all made mistakes.

Just because we’re told that keeping chickens is relatively easy, doesn’t mean there aren’t things that can go wrong.

Investing money into keeping chickens means we want them to be happy and healthy so that we get the return we hope for – whether it be eggs, meat, or both.

There are plenty of mistakes you can make when raising hens that could lead to the loss of your flock, illness, and more.

Here are 8 common mistakes you may be making while raising chickens:

Common Mistake #1: Your coop is too small

Remember, chickens will reproduce and if you don/t have a large enough coop, they will get too packed and spread illness and start fights very easily.

Common Mistake #2: Not providing a dust bath

Your chickens need one to actually keep clean and get rid of mites and old feathers.

Common Mistake #3: You feed them too much or not enough

It takes a while to realize how much food your chickens need to remain healthy. It is possible to overfeed or underfeed your flock.

Be sure to start off with a moderate amount and adjust from there.

Use a Grandpa Feeder if you can, and never put too much food out for the flock if you’re going on holiday.

Common Mistake #4: You use too much or not enough heat

Depending on your breed of chicken, they may fair better in warmer or colder climates – or both.

Find out from an expert how much heat you may need to provide to your chickens during colder weather.

And, when the days are especially hot, find a way to cool the coop through airflow, etc.

Common Mistake #5: Not handling your chicks enough

If you want your older chickens to come to you without biting or aggression, it’s important to cuddle and handle them quite a bit as chicks.

Common Mistake #6: Keeping too many roosters

You only really need one for every ten hens.

More than that and fights can spread as well as, well, more mating than your hens actually want.

Common Mistake #7: Too many drafts in the winter

It’s important to keep the hens’ roost and nesting areas away from doors and drafts (like windows).

They want to be snug and warm while resting and drafts can actually prevent eggs from being produced.

Common Mistake #8: Keeping your chickens cooped up inside

They need fresh air like the rest of us. Let them get some exercise outside if they want it.

Yes, even in the winter.

If you’ve noticed yourself making these mistakes, don’t feel bad. Keeping chickens has a learning curve. Take a look at our automatic chicken feeders, or check out our blog for more helpful articles about raising chickens.