have to get rid of my chickens

[cknmom]

After we lost almost all our chickens and both our roos, DH brought home five hens. They looked ragged(now they are better) they were laying 3-4 eggs a day. Then they molted and it was 2-3, then it got hot and no one around here was getting any eggs at all. Now in the lat month and a half we have gotten a total of 6 eggs! DH says that with finances how they are we cannot afford to feed hens that are not laying and also be buying eggs. So I am going to offer them to a neighbor. Meanwhile we will build our new coop/run and maybe next spring things will be better and we can get enough hens to kind of be assured of having eggs.

I hate to get rid of them. Maybe I can convince DH to keep the non-laying old hen(he likes her a lot) and the weird roo??. We don't know what he is. We have thought maybe a turkey, peacock, vulture, turkey vulture??? He doesn't crow and makes very strange noises, some even sound like a duck! Any ideas??

I know these aren't very good pics, but if I go inside and try to take any they are running all over the place and won't stay still.

Monica

He also has no spurs or even any bumps where they would be.

 

[debilorrah]

Does your beloved know that this time of year they slow down in production and that next spring you will probably have more eggs than you know what to do with? Is feed THAT expensive where you live? Here it's about $15 for a 75# bag.

 

[chickenbike]

I'm sorry if you end up having to get rid of your birds. Hopefully you and your husband can keep a couple as you mention. It would be a shame to part with all of them.

I'm not sure about what breed your rooster may be, but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than I will help. From your description of his crow, I imagine he's quite the character! One of my girlfriend's rooster has this incredibly deep crow.....sounds like a donkey!!

 

[scrapmom5]

I am sooo sad that you need to get rid of your chickens. My DH thought about it so I started to recycle their old food sacks into shopping totes and sell those for $10. I try to sell the eggs and let them free range as much as possible. He seems happier with them now. He says at least they are earning their keep.

I will pray something comes your way to help out.

 

[jnjross]

CRAIGSLIST

 

[cknmom]

We pay $25 for a 50# bag and our sacks are brown paper, we don't have the cool colorful sack a lot of people seem to be able to get. I am thinking that it might be the feed he got because he changed the last two times. The last kind he got they didn't like too much and it was almost like powder. This time he got something different, they liked it better but they aren't laying. He does know that they slow down in the winter, but until recently we have been having 80* weather.

He goes through these stages, he gets stressed out because of finances(who doesn't) and I don't have a paying job. He'll tell me we have to get rid of them then in two weeks he'll say he wasn't serious. So we will see.
Maybe I can get them a reprieve for the winter. We are finally starting to get child support checks from BOTH DGD's parents, our youngest daughter is bringing her three here in two weeks.

She had gone to Afghanistan in March and we were supposed to get them then, but her new husband kept them. She had to come back during the summer because her ex fiance(who is the father of two of them) was forcing custody issues, AND her new husband filed for divorce(when it rains, it pours, these, are the days of our lives). ANYWAYS, she has all that taken care of and now she has to go back over there, so the kids will be here until she gets back next Aug.

So because of that, we will have money from her AND her ex will be sending us the support money he owes(yeah right).
So hopefully the extra money coming in will make him feel more at ease and let me keep them.

Sorry for dragging on and on, no one to talk to around here.

Monica

 

[debilorrah]

That is kind of expensive feed, considering what we pay here! Yikes!. My fiance gets stressed out about finances too, rightfully so, but he has never threatened to get rid of the chickens! We both love them.

 

[thechickenchick]

Quote:
Don't apoligize! It is the same way here. My MIL is my only sounding board. Don't get me wrong, that is a great thing and I love her very much, but there are some things I don't feel comfortable sharing with her.

I do hope you are able to keep your birds. We are going through the same thing. We are feeding 21 birds and getting 4 eggs a day. Our feed is $14 for 50 lbs. It will get better. My DH knows how much my chickens mean to me, they are my therapy. Its cheaper than $150 an hour, so he lets me keep them!!

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

Quote:
wait, what are you guys talking about 'recycle their old food sacks into shopping totes and sell those for $10" I have no idea what that means, but if it means saving money Im all over it. Please clarify.....

 

[crzychickenlady]

How many birds do you have?

Here, the feed I buy is $16 for a 50# bag. I have 7 birds total, 6 hens and 1 roo, and that bag of feed will last me at least a months...that's not too bad.

Mine aren't laying much right now, I think me EE's and Phoenix are on strike. But my 2 Cochins and Speckled Sussex are going strong.

You said some of the birds are new? Maybe the stress of a new home has caused them to slow production. Maybe give them a little time to adjust and see what happens?