Can't Stop Buying Chicks!!!!

[walbarbsa]

Don't fret, sweetie, you'll get over this fever soon enough. Probably when you've got so many roosters that all of your hens are bare-backed, or when your feed bill knocks your socks off.....you'll begin to search daily for any signs that these sweet little chicks are roosters. Even their first weakling cockadoodle won't move you.

But you WILL recover.

 

[bensteph821]

Omg! Im not alone! I am exactly the same! And I can't stop!!!!!

 

[Gladys Rabbit]

I think I would be the same way except for the fact that our town has a 4-hen limit and my husband is a stickler for obeying the law.

 

[mkcolls]

The first week of June this year we started with 34 chicks, (six breeds), two died in the first week, 3 wks later we got 7 EE's, and 5 wks later we got 18 more, SLW, JG, BA. We now have 57 chicks. Oh did I mention the 10 turkeys (lost 5 to rotten raccoons) and 5 pearl guineas?

I found out that I really love chicks, watching their personalities develop, like EE's that fly up to our arm, shoulder or lap, or a SLW roo from the last batch of chicks who stands up to any other chick to defend the other little ones around him. Or watching the happy hop when the little ones get to go outside. Oh, and the best is fluffy butts.

Yes, I have checked out other breeds that I would like to have after reading about them or seeing them in the incredible pictures that are posted on BYC forum.

We have the space in the coop and yard so why not add a few more chicks before the weather changes, right?

But, we went a completely different direction today and came home with 30-year old hens that the owner had to find a new home for. They should have been re-homed months ago. They are well fed and appear healthy, but we are taking every precaution that we can to not introduce any diseases, hidden lice or mites to our chicks. They will be in quarantine as long as necessary. New number of chickens - 87!!!

So, I will enjoy the last babies that I have, just 3 wks old, and switch gears to help 30 big girls make the adjustment to their new home, and look forward to eggs sooner than we previously planned, after the girls recover from the move.

So, yes, more chickens please. Oh, not me, YOU!!!

 

[Kaelinstorm]

Haha Welcome to Chicken Addiction LOL I have 2 Bantam Roos, 1 RIR hen, 1 Silver Leghorn hen, 2 Hampshire or RIR hens, and as of today (Because I found an addiction to silkies and bought 4 new today...) 5 Silkie chickens LOL And I live in the middle of town LOL! At least Im on .35 acres which is pretty good sized. But now with the Silkies I need more coop space. The others have over taken my 1 coop and unfortunately it has no nesting boxes just a connected doghouse with hay in it. At least most of them but the Rhodie are too young to lay...

EDIT: Oh and this is of course in conjunction with my other poultry addiction... I have 4 ducks LOL A Khaki Campbell Drake, a cayuga female, a magpie female, and a Khaki/Magpie cross that is a little over a month old but Im thinking female.

 

[Lil'ChickFarm]

I have four out back and 8 in the brooder.
This week I fell to a danger. I bought two nine month old girls without seeing them.
It was horrible. They were dirty, had one toe that was swollen, and they were down right ugly. It was sad. I had to follow through on my committment to the person as she was going to work.
I took them home and when I was about to get out of the car, one coughed and breathed this horrible rattling noise.
I flipped out!! I tried to take them back but the lady said she would not take them back.
She was so rude, but so nice before.
I placed them on my front steps and left them in the dog crate there. I put an ad on craigs list and I told everything about them.
I gave them away that afternoon to a lady that has an animal sanctuary. She said she would treat them and let them live out their lives.
Well we tried to put them in a box for her and one got loose. Until that moment, I had not touched them.
We had to chase it until we caught it and it took quite a while.
I caught it. Sent them with her in my dog crate. She is going to return it.
I immediatly went to the shower and my clothes went into the wash. Everything got sterilized including door handles.
I have not held my chick babies all day today.
I hope all trace of that disease is gone from my front yard.
My two RIR/EE mixes and my wyandott silver laced bantams are doing fine out back. They were never in contact.
I will NEVER buy chickens without seeing them first again.
I have all the babies I want now. I want to spoil my little ones for a long time to come.
I am going to see some ameracauna bantams this weekend. They are with a man who is in our local poultry group and he has been pretty upfront about everything. The birds are 7 weeks old. I just wanted to get two or three more so I could get eggs soon from a half dozen.
My little ones won't be ready to lay until spring.
If I get any from him, they will be in quarantine, even though they are young.
This chicken business is a very fun hobby, but is laced with risks.
I have bred birds for years and not felt so many issues with them.
I don't take my birds to shows though because there is that risk if you do.
So I want to try and keep my flock protected if I can.
I don't think bringing home babies that stay in the brooder and away from the flock, is too high a risk. THe babies should be fairly healthy.
I don't know how you can avoid having to add chickens in on a regular basis, when chickens only lay for a couple years and when predators are a danger too.
I have been hearing of people who have lost so many lately.
It seems to be the chicken cycle.
It isn't like owning a dog. Much less stable.
I get attached too. I was thinking tonight that I almost need more then I want so that it does not upset me if something happens, lol.
So far I am not in deep though and I plan to keep it at that. I figure I will have lots of years to get chickens if I keep doing this.
I already know lots of farmers that will take males off my hands. Chickens are poultry and eating chicken is a fact. We do. I don't feel badly that some are going to get eaten. I don't like this disease stuff though. NOT AT ALL. Yesterday was horrible.

 

[ChickasaurusRex]

We chicken owners know how to be EXTRA cautious when adding to the flock......... but we also know, that when we see those little fuzzy butts..... our promises of NO MORE CHICKS/CHICKENS... are GONE!

Out of the door! BROKEN! ........ "What!!!!????? No more chicks? Pshhhh I never said that! U crazy?

hahaha I could see my future self now... "oh but THIS one has 5 toes! oh but THIS one lays green eggs! oh but THIS one... this one... was just SO very CUTE!

Even now my friends and family think I'm chicken CRAZY.

Then they see me on this s website all day and they ask me what's it all about... I'm a teen so I just give them 4 words..............
FACEBOOK FOR CHICKEN OWNERS

Ahhhhh.....

and that's when they shut up with the questions and let me be with my face 2 inches away from the screen of my laptop...
Watching for new posts on BYC!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry so off topic but had to confess about my craziness

 

[roni0907]

I am SO very happy to know that I am not the only one who keeps finding new chicks - I am not sure if it is because it is all new and exciting, or if I am just off my rocker. I think one person at work told me I am becoming the equivalent of the crazy cat lady, since I talk about all my chicks daily!

Where I live, I am allowed 3. We bought 4 from a local feed store, and then the next day bought a 5th at a different feed store. Once their coop was finished and they moved in, DH had the idea that we had more room - guess what happened next! Yup, we bought 5 more 3 weeks ago, and then 2 more last weekend. That makes 12!!!! Well, 11 since one of my first chickens started crowing at 4:30am - he went back to the feed store so they can re-home him

It is a crazy hobby, this chicken things. But, it is bringing us both so much joy

 

[cottagechick]

Quote:
I am REALLY tired right now...so when I read that you bought 30-year-old hens...I thought WOW I didn't know they could live that long...

 

[cottagechick]

Quote:
I showed two pictures to a coworker.
1. Was a pink silkie with pearls
2. Was a featherless chicken.
I thought even people who aren't into chickens would be entertained...
Now every he sees me he starts telling people I have a chicken fetish...