Chicken (Poultry) Addiction Anonymous *Chat Thread*

[featherz]

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I'm trying to cut my flock down as well. Just put my five OE (one special needs) on CL along with a hen and chicks. Still pondering about my seven layers - they are my oldest and I'd love to rehome them to cut down yet another coop to tend for winter, but they are also my nicest birds so I'm picky about where they go. Hard to be picky on CL, and I doubt anyone on byc would run over here for them since they are simple hatchery birds. Decisions decisions!

I'm still buying only about one bag of feed per week for 48 birds - but they free range most of the day.

 

[Muggsmagee]

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I'm trying to cut my flock down as well. Just put my five OE (one special needs) on CL along with a hen and chicks. Still pondering about my seven layers - they are my oldest and I'd love to rehome them to cut down yet another coop to tend for winter, but they are also my nicest birds so I'm picky about where they go. Hard to be picky on CL, and I doubt anyone on byc would run over here for them since they are simple hatchery birds. Decisions decisions!

I'm still buying only about one bag of feed per week for 48 birds - but they free range most of the day.

Whoops...that was supposed to be $150. I think DH would feed ME to the flock if it got up to $250!

I made a promise to my first chicken, a BO, (the ONLY one I kept out of 15 of the original birds) that she would be with me for LIFE. It's hard to let go of some of the others, but I have gotten better at not viewing them all as pets. That sure helps!

Heather, there is nothing wrong with being picky! It's your decision. I still think I am the only one who ends up with mostly craigslist flakes!

 

[featherz]

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LOL, I get them too.

I post my ads in a less populated CL zone (glens falls) before I delete it and post in the Albany CL. The Albany CL seems to bring out more flakes since it covers more area. At least this time most of the rehomees are girls. Rehoming boys is always 'I don't want a rooster, do you have girl chickens?'.

I think I can easily rehome hens, but maybe not since I'm being picky. My one OE has a twisted foot, plus three of them lay brown eggs and not olive. My nicest chickens are my leghorns but they are free wheeling souls and I'd hate to rehome them to someone who shoves them in a dark poopy barn for the rest of their lives. I may just keep them and end up on some hoarders show, but I'd rather get rid of a bunch now so I can have fewer to take care of this winter AND I can add some youngsters next year!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Meagan congrats on cutting down on some of the flock! I wish I could get my flocks down to 66!!

I did sell 12 LF hens, 5 Guinea keets, and 3 roosters the other week. That is something. I've been giving some serious thinking about just breeding the Seramas, Splash/Lavender Cochins, Bantam Orpingtons, and the Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons. Having tons, and tons, and TONS of breeds that have to be separated into different pens is going to be alot of work, and cost alot. Plus predators are so bad I can hardly keep anything alive at the barn!

Lost a peacock yesterday to an unkown cause. I was on my way to let them out and I hear them all screaming bloody murder. When I get out there there is a peacock dead on it's side. No sign of a wound or anything, just dead?! We think it was either a rattler, or a skunk. We smelt a skunk, but then how would he get out so quickly?? If it was a snake I doubt if we would have ever saw it! Peafowl are not meant to be raised in Texas..that much I can tell you. They're prone to every kind of sickness, more than I care to mention!!

On a happier note I will be putting around 30-50 eggs into lockdown today. They're due to hatch Thursday. Lavender Orps, Light Sussex, Speckled Sussex, and Seramas.

I'm so excited! Remember the last on September when I get my Splash and Lavender Cochins in the mail? Well when I opened the box where the Lav hen was there was an egg. Of course I incubated it, but doubted if it was fertile. I PM'd the seller (fattie) and asked if she had been with a rooster at all? She told me she had been with a Millie Fleur Cochin boy for about a week, but she didn't know if he was old enough to do his 'stuff'. Well guess what? That egg is zipping right now!!

Ugh, my Light Sussex and LF Sultan eggs should have been in the mail yesterday morning.

Went to the mailbox this morning but they STILL weren't there! Ahh!!

Hopefully tomorrow!

~Aspen

 

[Muggsmagee]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

Meagan congrats on cutting down on some of the flock! I wish I could get my flocks down to 66!!

I did sell 12 LF hens, 5 Guinea keets, and 3 roosters the other week. That is something. I've been giving some serious thinking about just breeding the Seramas, Splash/Lavender Cochins, Bantam Orpingtons, and the Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons. Having tons, and tons, and TONS of breeds that have to be separated into different pens is going to be alot of work, and cost alot. Plus predators are so bad I can hardly keep anything alive at the barn!

Lost a peacock yesterday to an unkown cause. I was on my way to let them out and I hear them all screaming bloody murder. When I get out there there is a peacock dead on it's side. No sign of a wound or anything, just dead?! We think it was either a rattler, or a skunk. We smelt a skunk, but then how would he get out so quickly?? If it was a snake I doubt if we would have ever saw it! Peafowl are not meant to be raised in Texas..that much I can tell you. They're prone to every kind of sickness, more than I care to mention!!

On a happier note I will be putting around 30-50 eggs into lockdown today. They're due to hatch Thursday. Lavender Orps, Light Sussex, Speckled Sussex, and Seramas.

I'm so excited! Remember the last on September when I get my Splash and Lavender Cochins in the mail? Well when I opened the box where the Lav hen was there was an egg. Of course I incubated it, but doubted if it was fertile. I PM'd the seller (fattie) and asked if she had been with a rooster at all? She told me she had been with a Millie Fleur Cochin boy for about a week, but she didn't know if he was old enough to do his 'stuff'. Well guess what? That egg is zipping right now!!

Ugh, my Light Sussex and LF Sultan eggs should have been in the mail yesterday morning.

Went to the mailbox this morning but they STILL weren't there! Ahh!!

Hopefully tomorrow!

~Aspen

That is exactly it! Getting them all separated into separate breeding pens is inconvenient. Plus, if anyone has ADD like I do, there are a million "project" opportunities if we wanted to pursue them, like Lav Wheaten Ams, Isabelle Ams, Lavender Partridge something-something

, Columbian Ams...the list could go on and on for me. Oh the possibilities. Then there is breeding for specific colors, traits, purposeful matings/pairings, keeping logs, all of it can be overwhelming. My property is small, sometimes which I'm thankful for so that I don't get in over my head with too many pens and projects.

And the fact that winter is coming!!!! ICK! Everything becomes more difficult in the winter.

Sorry about your recent peacock.

I didn't realize they were such an issue to raise. They may need to be crossed off my list of "wants".​

 

[IdealisticRoo]

Congratulations on flock-downsizing!

Getting rid of birds is kinda like puking, you put it off as long as possible, but it always feels better after you do!

This time of year as it gets colder, I always think I want less birds too, so the feed and water will last longer and the coop will stay a bit cleaner!

I sold 14 birds at the swap last Saturday, but added 3 juvenile Welsummer pullets to my existing pair (same batch, Daisychick and I split the order, but she down-sized too, so I got the Wellies)!

So my total WAS down to 29 chickens and 2 ducks, BUT my broody on 9 eggs is due tomorrow, AND for some reason I ordered 8 bantam EEs from Ideal to arrive this week and when I saw the 99 cent bantam special was back on, I called back and added 25 of those!

SO, my plan is to spend a week or two watching baby chicks, which is a wonderful pastime! Then, I will pick 5-10 of the cutest girls (and MAYBE 1 roo), and sell the rest on Craigslist!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

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That is exactly it! Getting them all separated into separate breeding pens is inconvenient. Plus, if anyone has ADD like I do, there are a million "project" opportunities if we wanted to pursue them, like Lav Wheaten Ams, Isabelle Ams, Lavender Partridge something-something

, Columbian Ams...the list could go on and on for me. Oh the possibilities. Then there is breeding for specific colors, traits, purposeful matings/pairings, keeping logs, all of it can be overwhelming. My property is small, sometimes which I'm thankful for so that I don't get in over my head with too many pens and projects.

And the fact that winter is coming!!!! ICK! Everything becomes more difficult in the winter.

Sorry about your recent peacock.

I didn't realize they were such an issue to raise. They may need to be crossed off my list of "wants".

That is the thing I KNOW I need to STOP hatching but for heavens sakes I CAN'T!!!

I'm seriously thinking about just breeding a couple, instead of around 50...but I so wanted to make a home business for myself by selling hatching eggs, but if I only have a few breeds that will be hard to do, as I would only have a couple of breeds. Whereas if I had 20-30 breeds I could sell tons, and tons of things, but the WORK involved with that would be horrid! *sigh*

Meagan, you could have peafowl without any trouble. I just seem to be bad luck. I try and add anything new and it always gets sick and dies, or gets sick, get everybody else sick and then dies..or a predator gets it.

~Aspen

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

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I saw IdealPoultry's special, but I'm not big into hatchery birds, and I'm trying to downsize. I haven't ordered from a hatchery since 2007. Gosh, I do love opening up a box of fuzzies though!

~Aspen

 

[IdealisticRoo]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

I saw IdealPoultry's special, but I'm not big into hatchery birds, and I'm trying to downsize. I haven't ordered from a hatchery since 2007.

Gosh, I do love opening up a box of fuzzies though!

~Aspen

I am completely addicted to opening "cheeping boxes of happiness"!

It's like a drug!

I greatly admire the beautiful birds from selective breeders, but I am satisfied with my hatchery birds (and some culls from Daisychicks non-hatchery breeder birds)!

Hatchery birds fit my budget and I really am in this mostly for entertainment and distraction.

 

[Muggsmagee]

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You get the grossest analogy award! Baha ha ha! It is SO true, though!