the problems newbies encounter with keeping chickens

now i am going to post a few little things i have seen posted and answered on some other sites i frequent ,please do not think i am havinga go at these people,i am not ,whati am trying to do is make those who see these more aware of the problems that some people come against when theydo not get the right information at the start or listen im sorry to say to complete prats or people who read a subject up on another site and as i said before carry this stupid information on and on.
what id like to do is for you to add your own problems you encountered in keeping livestock or birds of any sort  , the posts i will put here show you how not understanding an animal can lead to its mistreatment ansd evenmore expense on keeping an animal healthy and your posts will also add to the list of things new owners are going to probably come up against

posted just this last  week
chickens
Are seriously wrecking my garden!!!!!!!! Now I do feel they should free range but my garden is not that big..... it is getting seriously wrecked and we are only in November and to be honest we haven't really hit the winter months or the wet months!!! So any (sensible) ideas! No I won't put them in a pot!!!!!! If I build a run for them to be kept in how big does it need to be??? etc etc!!


this is a case of getting the birds before realising what it takes to keep them ,someone probably told this person " oh chickens dont needanything special just feed em they will be fine "you can keep them in an egru :roll:

post 2
build a run put concrete on the floor, and wash it off every day.

You can always add grass clippings, hay or straw as a scratching insentive.

my answer
if you put chickens on concrete it will cause callouses on thier feet and toes ,and it is also abrasive ,even with the chippings which they wil scrat away it will still act like sandpaper on thier feet
post 3
i only let my chickens free range at weekends cos its dark now

my reply
why do you only let them free range at weekends cos its dark? they will go into shelter when it gets dark on thier own ....im confused.....

Very true John,

Muntjac has kept and worked with animals for many years and gives his excellent advice from his great store of knowlege.  

Keeping a new type of animal can be a steep learning curve and one you should start before you get them.  My father always kept chickens while I was a child so I had a head start.  Good advice can be hard to come by and must be judged for soundness.   If in doubt always ask a professional  :!:

They never let me take a decent picture

John I'm just glad life appears to be so much more unexpectedly hazardous for men!  

i can say john i sufferd the old lady syndrome when i was a youngster .the farm had a few old dears living in isolated houses on its boundary ,and i had this blooming ginger cat the size of a border terrier and a temper to match " tomazina " from the film. now we fed this cat the usual foods and it caught rats mice rabbits pheasants and the like ,but the sod would go to one old ladies house a mrs abel ( jewish lady always cooking  ) and as gods my witness the cat would treat her as another cat she would purr n let her stroke it the whole 9 yards we could not touch the dam thing without ending up with blood pouring ... her secret the fishman would come friday morning and she would buy 2lbs of cod cheeks n tongues for the blooming thing .and she actually thought the cat was hers it would come round every morning to be fed