Hey permies family,
I promised myself I'd share this painful tally once I had the courage to add it all up. After my first year with chickens, I discovered I'd blown over $500 on completely preventable mistakes. Not planned expenses like the coop or feed—just pure rookie stupidity that I'm hoping you can learn from.
So here's my confession, complete with receipts and the solutions that finally worked.
Mistake #1: The Chicken Wire Disaster ($185)
I thought I was being clever using chicken wire instead of hardware cloth because it saved me $45 upfront. Three weeks later, I woke up to carnage. A raccoon had reached right through those large hexagonal holes and killed my favorite Buff Orpington, Mabel.
The damage:
Lost hen: $30 (she was from good stock)
Emergency hardware cloth purchase: $95
Gas for three hardware store trips in panic mode: $15
Replacing torn-up chicken wire I'd already installed: $45
Total: $185
The fix: Hardware cloth from the start. Yes, it costs more initially, but chicken wire is basically tissue paper to predators. Raccoon hands can reach through anything bigger than 1/2 inch mesh. I've since learned so much about predator-proofing that I put together a complete guide at
https://chickenstarter.com/predator-proof-chicken-coop/ to help others avoid this nightmare.
Mistake #2: The "Cozy Coop" That Wasn't ($240)
Bought a prefab coop advertised for "6 chickens!" for my 4 birds. Must have been designed by someone who'd never seen an actual chicken. By month two, they were pecking each other bloody from stress.
The damage:
Original inadequate coop: $150 (total loss)
Lumber for emergency addition: $65
More hardware cloth for the extension: $25
Total: $240
The fix: Real math = 4 square feet per bird inside minimum, 10 square feet in the run. That "6 chicken coop"? Good for maybe 2-3 birds max. For anyone trying to figure out proper sizing, check out
https://chickenstarter.com/how-much-space-do-chickens-really-need/ — wish I'd found something like that before buying.
Mistake #3: The Grain Mix Money Pit ($125)
Bought fancy "premium scratch grain mix" thinking my girls deserved gourmet. They picked out the corn, left everything else, and within two weeks I had a rat highway running through my yard.
The damage:
Wasted grain mix (50lb bag): $35
More wasted grain (second bag before I learned): $35
Rat traps, bait stations, and hardware: $40
Replacing contaminated feed after rats got in: $15
Total: $125
The fix: Complete pellet feed only. Period. Chickens can't pick favorites from pellets, they get balanced nutrition, and nothing gets wasted to attract rodents. I've documented everything about proper feeding at
https://chickenstarter.com/the-best-feeding-schedule-for-backyard-chickens/ after learning the hard way.
Mistake #4: The Introduction Bloodbath ($95)
Added two beautiful Wyandotte pullets to my flock. Just tossed them in one evening thinking "they'll sort it out." Next morning looked like a horror movie.
The damage:
Vet visit for injured pullet: $65
Antibiotics: $15
Temporary partition supplies: $15
Total: $95
The fix: Quarantine new birds minimum 2 weeks, then "see but don't touch" introduction through fence for another week. Yes, it's annoying. Yes, it's absolutely necessary. The pecking order issues that resulted taught me a lot—I share solutions at
https://chickenstarter.com/pecking-order-problems-stop-bully-hens-fast/
Mistake #5: The Ventilation Nightmare ($165)
Sealed my coop tight for winter because "my girls need to be warm!" Two weeks later, dealing with respiratory infections in half the flock from ammonia buildup.
The damage:
Vet consultation: $75
Medications: $30
Cutting holes and installing proper vents: $45
New bedding after moisture disaster: $15
Total: $165
The fix: Ventilation at the TOP of your coop, above roost level. Moisture kills chickens, not cold. After this disaster, I researched extensively and compiled everything at
https://chickenstarter.com/17-coop-ventilation-mistakes-that-overheat-your-flock/ — every new keeper should read this before winter.
Mistake #6: The Missing First Aid Kit Emergency ($85)
Sunday night, holiday weekend, everything closed. Found my Barred Rock with a gashed leg from a fence wire. Had nothing on hand.
The damage:
Emergency vet kit from 24-hour pharmacy: $45
Overpriced wound spray: $20
Vet wrap and supplies: $20
Total: $85
The fix: Assemble a first aid kit NOW. Include: Vetericyn, antibiotic ointment, vet wrap, saline solution, electrolytes, and isolation crate. There's a complete checklist at
https://chickenstarter.com/how-to-set-up-a-chicken-first-aid-kit-at-home/
Bonus Disasters:
Wrong roosting bars (used round dowels): $30 to replace with proper 2x4s flat-side up
No automatic door: Lost 3 birds to forgetting to lock up ($90)
Mites explosion: Treatment and coop cleaning after ignoring early signs ($75) — now I know better thanks to researching
https://chickenstarter.com/mites-and-lice-on-chickens/
The Painful Total: $1,055
Yeah, it's double what I put in the title. But here's the thing—every single mistake taught me something crucial, and year two has been virtually disaster-free.
My "Never Again" Checklist:
Hardware cloth everything - no chicken wire, ever
4 sq ft coop/10 sq ft run per bird - minimum, no exceptions
Pellet feed only - no mixes, limited treats
Quarantine setup ready - before you need it
First aid kit stocked - tonight, not tomorrow
Ventilation over insulation - moisture is the enemy
Automatic coop door - best $100 investment after all these disasters
The Silver Lining:
Despite hemorrhaging money on preventable mistakes, my surviving girls are thriving. Six hens now produce 30+ eggs weekly. At local prices, that's $300+ in eggs for the year, plus the world's best garden fertilizer, plus entertainment that beats Netflix.
More importantly, I learned that the chicken keeping community is incredibly generous with knowledge—which is why I'm sharing this embarrassing list. I've tried to pay it forward by documenting solutions at
https://chickenstarter.com
Your Turn:
What expensive mistakes did you make starting out? Let's create the thread that saves new chicken keepers from our collective disasters. Because if sharing my $1,000+ learning curve saves even one person from the "chicken wire tragedy," it's worth the public humiliation.
Note: I've included links to detailed guides I've written about these specific problems—hope they help someone avoid my expensive education!
4
