Flock Plan need your ideas on a decision

[hcammack]

Quote:
Thanks ya I will not get any leghorns mine that I have now is pretty nutty I am leaning towards culling her and making soup. I am thinking ameraucana and marans chick also

 

[hcammack]

Also how many would you get taking into account the roosters?

 

[hcammack]

Do you think it would be ok during the winter here to have chicks if I don't get them for a month?

Henry

 

[patandchickens]

I realize this is not going to be much like what everyone else is urging

, but Henry, if you are going to be gone from January through May, and then leaving for college in another year, you would not be having much time to enjoy those birds (in whatever way you got 'em). And then you will have to figure out what to do when you're off to college, which may be a bigger headache than you are expecting.

It seems to me like it would be more sensible, fairer to your mom and fairer to the chickens -- without *actually* decreasing your own quality of life one bit -- to just put a hold on any more chickens for the time being.

I absolutely 100% guarantee that all the breeds you desire will still be in existance when you are in a better position to keep a larger flock long-term. And it's not like there's a prize for 'who collects the whole set first'

Just sayin',

Pat

 

[hcammack]

I just got up guts and emailed peachick about a small custom hatch for 1/2 marans and 1/2 ameraucana either blue or blue wheaten! I have two of her cull Blue wheaten/ wheaten girls they are great layer and brooders and are not friendly but that is because they were not hand raised and I would like the hand raise this next batch because they will probably be my moms small laying flock and my parents said I could do the custom hatch so we will see what she says.

Anyone else have input?

Henry

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
Thank you so much for putting the other side of the argument in I have been thinking about it allot latley. I think that because I have an aunt with a large farm and allot of people have a large demand for these breeds I should get a few and see what my mom says and then I can easily get rid of them either with my aunt at an auction with Marlin Chaser. I will look at cost and decied then. Thank you so much for being honest and putting in a very valid point. I am just thinking 2 years is a while so I should be ok what ever happens I also have allot of country friends with chickens so I can dish out a few hens to each of them in the end where I know they will be well cared for. Also I thought it over and if I do get into agriculture even on a very small scale later in life I will need high production breeds like sexlinks so this is my hobby intresting flock right now because I will not have the Freedom of extra $ later.

Thank you,
Henry

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
12, just to keep a nice even number, and I know where you could drop off a couple extra pullets if you go over the 15 limit.( and I dont mean your aunts)

 

[hcammack]

LOL thanks I will see what she has available and then we will see how many she can hatch for me.

Henry

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
As long as you have a spot where they can get under a heat lamp for a little while, they will be 8 weeks beginning of December, so should be mostly feathered out by then, so they should be ready to take on the winter by then.

 

[patandchickens]

If that's your "Plan B" (well, Plans B) then it seems to me that if you <sigh> DO go ahead and get more chickens, it should be up to your aunt and Marlinchaser what to get and what age and so forth, since they are likely to end up with the product

IMO, if you are considering an auction as a means of handily disposing of extra chickens, you might want to reflect on where the chickens go from there and what kind of lives they lead from then on (and how soon cut short by disease). If this is a hobby flock for you, then it might be nice to prioritize the chickens' welfare, which is probably NOT best served by sending them thru an auction, exposed to bazillions of Happy Fun Germs, and then getting hauled off to live in what has a pretty fair likelihood of being conditions that you would not consider acceptible to keep them in *yourself*.

I'm not saying auctions don't have a place in the world, I'm just questioning whether they are really a good a priori plan from a chickens-best-interest standpoint.

So, if you HAVE to get more chickens, see what kind(s) and ages and numbers your aunt wants, or Marlinchaser, and get that

Good luck and have fun,

Pat