Shoot, I haven't even gotten any yet and the math has gotten me. It all started when a friend gave me some of her free range eggs, which reminded me of my childhood growing up on the farm with like 300 laying hens. If we ate it, it was because we had raised it or grown it, and the eggs were amazing. I told DH that WE could have eggs like this EVERY DAY, and he shrugged, acquiescing to yet another of my ideas. Poor guy. This is how we have a lot of kids, critters, and we are in the homestretch on buying our own land.It's always my idea.
So I planned to get just 4-6 hens, no roos. Just eggs, after all. I started looking at coops for a few birds.
Then I got to looking at breeds and realized I could breed chickens! I used to as a kid! And our kids could do 4-H! Yeah! So then I thought, I need more like 10-12 hens and one rooster. And I started looking at bigger coop plans.
And then I thought about getting two different breeds for variety. And showing! I used to do that too! How fun would that be! So now I need an even bigger coop, and I started looking at those. I even looked at a big horse sized run in shed that is converted to a chicken coop that they deliver, ready to put chickens in! Yay!
Then I took the kids to a small place, where they saw Silkies, and I bought a bator, which holds like 46 eggs if I counted correctly (I might not have in all my excitement over now being able to hatch our own!). And the kids started clamoring for Silkies. So that means I need at least three coops, one for Silkies and two for the others.
But it's coming to fall, and I'm starting to think getting chicks now is silly. They would be old enough to start laying in the dead of winter, so they probably won't, and I don't want to overwinter pullets. However.....ha! I could get MEATIES! And if I got them in the next month or so, after we close on our property of 7 acres, I could slaughter them when the weather cools down and fill the freezer! And now I need a coop and run for 25 meaties! But if I got more than 25, I could give some to my friends and coworkers...
So I planned to get just 4-6 hens, no roos. Just eggs, after all. I started looking at coops for a few birds.
Then I got to looking at breeds and realized I could breed chickens! I used to as a kid! And our kids could do 4-H! Yeah! So then I thought, I need more like 10-12 hens and one rooster. And I started looking at bigger coop plans.
And then I thought about getting two different breeds for variety. And showing! I used to do that too! How fun would that be! So now I need an even bigger coop, and I started looking at those. I even looked at a big horse sized run in shed that is converted to a chicken coop that they deliver, ready to put chickens in! Yay!
Then I took the kids to a small place, where they saw Silkies, and I bought a bator, which holds like 46 eggs if I counted correctly (I might not have in all my excitement over now being able to hatch our own!). And the kids started clamoring for Silkies. So that means I need at least three coops, one for Silkies and two for the others.
But it's coming to fall, and I'm starting to think getting chicks now is silly. They would be old enough to start laying in the dead of winter, so they probably won't, and I don't want to overwinter pullets. However.....ha! I could get MEATIES! And if I got them in the next month or so, after we close on our property of 7 acres, I could slaughter them when the weather cools down and fill the freezer! And now I need a coop and run for 25 meaties! But if I got more than 25, I could give some to my friends and coworkers...