20 Happy Austrolopes

[shawthorne44]

Hello all,
I have been lurking as I went from the 'thinking of getting' chickens to now when we have 20 3-month old Austrolopes and I have a question that isn't already answered. My goal is to have 20 happy hens. Well, really I only wanted 10, but I read how stressful on the hens it is to add to the flock, so I thought I'd get 15. I went to the feed store and said I wanted 15 hens and they said to buy 20 and then they threw one in for free. We lost one the first night when our big dog picked up a check with her mouth after DD left to door to the bathroom open. Chick got puncture wounds and died. But, we still have the rest, so I try to forget about the spare that died.

 

[Top Rooster]

Sorry for your loss I had a chick go missing last night well not really missing because I'm pretty sure she died but is no where to be found. Glad you got chickens, you gonna end up having to get chickens in the future because after the third year or so they egg production will decline. I intergrate new birds every year with minor problems such as pecking but That's it.

 

[tacothechicken]

Should have asked for ten XD automatic extras are kinda an assumed thing since you always lose some. The rule in our area is "always buy at least 3 more than you want" so by the time they hit two years your either just above or at the number you wanted originally even after a bad year for chickens aka coyote season.

 

[tacothechicken]

Yup if you want new birds do it regularly as a solid flock will kill newcomers (a friend gave us thier old hens and our girls had taken one out whithin 3 months because she was to old to fight , we ended up giving them to our niehbors) strangely they've always been fine whith me bringing in chicks hand raised. Probably cause their my "new clutch" but pullets and adults can be an issue.
And if your dog killed a chick then your gonna need a big run, cause chickens just become more entrancing to dogs the bigger they get! Or hope youve got some big and fiesty girls, I had a Orpington who fought off both a husky attack and a hawk attack.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC. Chicken math is a real thing.
This video with help you learn how to use this site.

 

[shawthorne44]

The chickens have their own yard, a pretty big one. A previous owner had kept some goats in there. The dog has the backyard.

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[shawthorne44]

I googled Chicken Math. Normal people look at me funny when I explain how I ended up with 20 hens. Now I feel better.