I think I may have figured out my problem!!!!!
When non-addicts go through the poultry catalog, they choose a few breeds and/ or varieties and either have them as a mixed flock, or a few breeder flocks. I know a lady who has a flock of Black Cochins! No other breeds, JUST Black Cochins!
I did that, I picked EE last year and bought 7. That was ok until about October, then I wanted some Black Australorps. So I requested permission for a dozen BAs and then placed my order. A friend of our family wanted 12 RIRs so I added those. Then the bantams went on sale for ONLY 99 cents each! The minimum order was 25, but that was ok! SO that's how 50 chickens arrived in the mail last October.
Oh, I guess I left out the FREE BUCKEYE CHICKENS on Craigslist!
Yes, I was the lucky 1st emailer and a guy named Jerry called and I borrowed a friend's truck and headed up into the mountains to claim my 32 free Buckeyes! I showed up and was given 50+ pounds of "CHICKEN FOOD", 10 pounds of "Digestive Earth" and a 5 gallon metal waterer and then they opened up the back of the truck and just started shoving SQUAWKING chickens in before I got much chance to look at them!
I had to stop for gas on the way home and I got some looks, putting gas into a SQUAWKING, CLUCKING, CROWING truck!
Oh yes - crowing! It was 2 roosters and 30 hens!
Those were the ugliest, hateful-est, meanest chickens you ever SAW!
My dreams of breeding and selling Buckeyes were quickly dashed as I watched these naked (moulting), UGLY, HATEFUL chickens tear each other (and my 7 beloved EEs) apart!
Then I started selling chickens on Craigslist! I sold most of the Buckeyes and gave the ugliest ones that didn't sell to a friend. He still hasn't got more than 1-2 eggs a day out of 13 hens!
I sold 16 bantams out of the assortment, and sold 9 of the BAs.
Then I started ordering "Pullet Surprises", 25 chicks a month and I sold them on Craigslist as Started Pullets. A GREAT way to have baby chicks to watch and sell them when they start to get ugly!
After keeping 5 (I think) out of the 150 pullet surprises, I placed a dream order! I picked several assortments (Long-tailed and Polish) and added a few other chicks. Then some died, so Ideal sent replacements, So I added more to that order.
Then I ordered Geese!
Then I ordered 12 bantams!
Then I got a broody hen from a friend and co-addict (ENABLER)! She hatched out 5 chicks, but killed 1 !
Then another hen went broody, so I HAD to order cuckoo Maran eggs to put under her!
NOW I HAVE WAY TOO MANY CHICKENS!!!! I have 14 adult chickens, 2 geese and 40(-ish) juvenile chickens into 2 chicken houses! I have an 8x4 brooder with the mama hen and her babies in it in the garage! I have a special needs chicken (a rumpless Araucana with a wonky leg) who has a private cage and goes for rides with me! My friends have mentioned that I SMELL like chicken! Not "like chicken", "like A chicken"!!!!
I need an intervention! Maybe I will move to a studio apartment in the city where I could not have chickens. Ooh, maybe I could have button Quail in a studio apartment!
Goodnight, y'all!