Brainstorm Article Ideas - Raising Chickens During Hard Financial Times

[SourRoses]

Those are great article ideas!
May I suggest...
"Pruning your flock" or "Chicken Math - Subtraction"
How to choose your most productive, best quality flock members to maximize efficiency and space / wellbeing of your chickens. Including suggestions for preparing emotionally for the removal of less useful birds.

Personal note: I'm at a stage with too many roosters and they happen to be nice, beautiful birds ... which is making it so much harder than it ever has been before!
I rehomed 2 Olive Egger pullets just yesterday that I had intended to keep because they were the sweetest, most trusting girls... I felt horribly guilty about it as if I had taken Babe the pig to market but that was $50, the buyer really wanted them, plus the $50 for the other, less personable OE sisters earlier in the week, and I honestly have no desire for green eggs or feather legs when I like blue eggs. Ack, why did they have to be so sweet? What if they are unhappy or get picked on? (sorry, done sniffling) Did I do the right thing??

 

[Jenni Hen]

Maybe the section could also include examples on how to decide about numbers; to avoid a situation developing. I wish I'd read something like, 'Ignore anyone who's trying to persuade you to try a different breed in addition to the ones you want. There's probably some reason behind it!'
I wouldn't rehome because a lot of chickens round here aren't in good conditions and the careful owners wouldn't need extra, older birds. So the 'subtraction' seems impossible.

Addition can be expensive. Precautions such as quarantine and 'look but don't touch'' etc could imply the cost of a full extra set of chicken-keeping gear, so tips on how to manage would be helpful.

 

[aart]

So the 'subtraction' seems impossible.

Not if you put them in the freezer.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Don’t add any new chickens, you never know what diseases they might have, and infect your flock with