i am so fed up with these dumb birds!!! *screams*

[CarolJ]

I have seven pullets - and one of the best parts of each day is the two hours before nightfall when I let them out of the coop/run and then I sit down and just watch them free range until they return to the coop to roost for the night. I've been so tempted by chicken math - looking at the various hatcheries online and planning my next chick purchases. However, after reading this thread, I think I need to slow down - seven is enough for now. Rather than order more chicks right away, I'll wait a few months. No hurry.

I sure hope things are better for you tomorrow. This weather is enough to sap the energy and enjoyment out of anything!

 

[hispoptart]

Quote:
So don't raise chickens anymore. Pretty simple.

Gee don't ya think thats a bit harsh!? Someone is just looking for some support through a rough time. If ya can't offer that then don't reply.


techno, Don't feel guilty for losing it, we all do at some point in our lives. Just sit down and figure out a plan that will work for you and then impliment it. You'll be better for it and so will your chickens.

 

[bertman]

technodoll, I can't help you with your chicken math problem because I'm a newbie to chicken raising. But I can offer a suggestion for catching those ornery little strays who like to elude you when you're trying to round them up for the evening lockdown. Go to a flea market or second-hand store and buy a landing net for big fish. Not one of those dinky trout nets or even a net a bass fisherman might use, but a salmon net or a net for ocean stripers. They usually have long handles--four or five feet with a two-foot or 30" diameter hoop and some type of mesh. They're aluminum and very light.

Just ease up to the unsuspecting birds and pop the net over them. Works for me. Most of the time.

Good luck. I hope your chicken passion returns.

 

[matimeo]

Your stress level is just telling you to take it easier. Don't trade your sanity for your chickens, it's not worth it. I'm surprised how many people on here are saying to not give up, when in fact that sounds like what would be best for you- or at least a major downsize. I only have four chickens and I've considered bagging it- and that's with a lot fewer issues than you appear to be having.

 

[briteday]

I feel your pain! Several years ago we started out with 6 RIR's that we obtained for free and built them an A-frame. Of course the next year we had to have a few more, then a few more, then we met someone with an incubator..and a few more. This past year we had 24 hens and one rooster. We couldn't keep up with egg orders so I ordered more chicks, and sold off some of the non-productive older hens. I raised up 30 new chicks this Spring and kept just 2 from the past year.

Then all heck broke loose. We had an unusually cold, rainy Spring (well, no Spring at all!), both DH and I needed to find new employment due to layoffs pending with our employer, our DD decided to do a semester out of state for summer school, and a number of serious home repairs became absolute necessities NOW. I had also had to euthanize 3 hens in the last few months, felt like every day when I went to collect eggs that I would find yet another disaster. Oh, and the coop needs a new roof as it is leaking now...into the nest boxes. And we had increased the size of the flock to the point that no one was allowed to go out to the coop unless they turned on the hose to fill waterers and took the hand cart to bring another sack of feed to the coop.

So, I sat down with my daughter to discuss the options. I no longer felt enjoyment from the chicken venture and she was leaving for summer school. Even her Fall schedule would leave her little time to help. Our egg customers are very nice people but have gotten used to only paying $2/dozen (and it didn't seem that they were willing to pay more) and they like to have their eggs delivered. They were not all timely with remembering to leave their payment for eggs on their delivery days, many falling several weeks behind in payment, me needing to email reminders regularly. I have a full time job and it isn't about chickens. I don't need another job! Then with the increase in feed prices and gas for the car to make deliveries, new schedules with new jobs, DD not going to be here to help...end result was that we decided to downsize the flock to just 4 pet birds. We are going to keep the equipment (feeders, waterers, brooding pens, etc) for now. You never know, I might want to do it again some day. And there's plenty of storage in the coop shed now that it's empty.

The last of the pullet flock left last weekend and we are down to 1 silkie, 1 gamebird, 1 Jersey giant, and I kept one RSL pullet mainly for eggs for us. I couldn't be happier. They are back in the original A-frame coop. I closed up the doors of the leaky, mouse infested coop shed and I'll deal with that when I have more time and patience. We sent emails to our egg customers letting them know ahead of time. And I now enjoy knowing each chicken by name again (not the leg band number that was color coded to the year they were hatched!), I unfold the lawn chair again just to sit and watch them, a bowl of kitchen scraps lasts them for days (we've actually started putting some kitchen scraps in the compost pile again because we have too much), and I am at peace.

If you decide to downsize I don't think you will have any problems finding good homes for your birds at prices that should reimburse you for the food and effort put into raising the birds. I had posted my birds for sale over a month ago and I'm still getting 3-4 emails per week asking for birds.

Whatever you decide will be the right decision for you. Everyone should be at peace with their home and life. Take the time to listen to your heart and you will know what is the best choice for you.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Last spring I went hatch crazy and ended up with 48 new chickens. Add that to the 25 I already had, and I was pulling my hair out. They were everywhere, my porch, the neighbors yard, the road

I was literally at the point where I couldn't take it anymore. I even considered selling all of my birds and getting out of chickens all together

So, I guess I can say I feel your pain. I got rid of all but 11 of my chickens (I couldn't imagine buying eggs from the store again), and I must say, I'm SO much happier having a small flock again. My birds look happier too. I'm not spending every cent I have on feed and the coop stays cleaner longer. This year I hatched broods in small batches and sold them as I went along...good luck! Sorry your in this situation.

 

[pjknust]

I have decided NOT to get any more chickens. I have been shopping on all the hatchery sites , do I, do I not. Well, I am very happy with my little flock, I dont need to make sure any other people have eggs, just as long as I have some myself and some to give to my parents. When the weather cools off and I can put my chicks out in the hen house, all the work will be over and will get back to normal. More birds will mean way more work than I want. And yes, things will stay cleaner with only 12 hens.
Im so glad the 'chicken math' didnt get to me................

pam in TX

 

[Katy]

I can "see" that you're very frustrated and I don't want to add more stress, but please consider how you're going to get your numbers down if you decide to downsize. I know from past threads of yours you've had a lot of respiratory illness in your flock so please think more than twice about selling your birds to others and passing that issue on to them. If I remember right that was how you got it brought into your birds.....buying birds that were either carriers or ill.

 

[technodoll]

Just read everyone's comments after yet another sleepless night (my brain just won't shut off, even with a sleeping pill) - and you guys are both amazing and right.

The chicken math isn't adding up anymore so I will have to seriously downsize... i want to enjoy my birds again, not keep breaking my back and the bank trying to keep them all happy and healthy when in reality they're as stressed as I am.

The two loose girls last night made it, I managed to catch them this morning so they're back with their gang.

I am getting a fishing net tomorrow, as suggested, and will not let them loose until then - yeah, not repeating last night's disaster, no thanks.

In my banty flock I have 24 chooks, 6 of which are LF youngsters which I plan to eventually move to the Big Girls' flock.

Which means my Big Girls' flock of 30 have got to be reduced to 20 or less.

I have to remember that a) I will not be adding any more birds for a long time and b) with my luck, I'll lose a few before winter to various deaths.

So by winter I should be down to 40-ish birds, which I can manage - it's not that much when you consider a month ago I had 68!

Now the most difficult part of this ordeal is deciding who goes and who stays... my girls all have names, they're my pets and not livestock and I've reared most of them since they were babies so yeah, it will be very difficult. Too many people around here don't treat their animals right and I don't want that on my conscience.

To those of you who have had to re-home... does the relief overcome the guilt?

 

[technodoll]

Quote:
I know - hence the difficulty in all of this and why I feel so stuck.

I have rehomed some youngsters and some older girls recently and have always warned the new owners of the risks, but haven't gotten anyone who said they were worried.

Probably because the birds only live long enough to give eggs then end in the stewpot...

The problem birds (the ones who still gurgle on occasion) will never be rehomed, we'll probably end up culling them before winter