How do you deal with your addiction?

[LovinMyPeeps]

So, I went to a swap/meet in Waddington NY... and I promised myself I wouldn't do it.... one ameraucana and one Ameraucana/Polish Cross (what a combo right??) and I still... need... more.... I'll post a pick of my two new pullets later

 

[fasbendera]

I gauge how many chickens before the DH changes the locks. I could use the chicken to fishing lure ratio but I don't have enough room for that many chickens.

 

[HBuehler]

How do I deal with it?
One chick at a time..or one incubator at a time

My husband gave up after 50 or snly rule no started chickens can come in now..must be in egg form
Hatching as I type

 

[KellyHM]

I continue to make DH build pens.

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

So then to add insult to injury at the swap... I got to talking with this nice young lady about incubators.. and I find myself surfing the web looking at eggs and bators... I keep finding myself in deeper and deeper! Thinking mmm marans would be nice.. or favorelles... or...

 

[SallyF]

Quote:
I'm an antiquated 4H chicken raiser, so I have a fondness for buying 4H kids' chickens at their auction. I've been reading all the posts on closed flocks though, so I may try to break that addiction. I won't do incubators though. Somehow I have to find a breed that goes broody a lot so I can hatch.

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
This is no help at all but I vote 'Keep Supporting those 4-H kids!'

I know, I know... risky, quarantine is a hassle, etc... but man are you ever giving back when you do that. Some of the nicest kids and families I've ever met have been in 4-H. Every organization has it's bad apples, but the overall 4-H atmosphere is so positive. I just adore the program.

ETA: A response to the original question.

How do I manage it? I quit cleaning my house years ago. I just focus on the coop now.

 

[farmin'chick]

How do I deal with it? Buy more eggs -- buy more chicks -- set more of my own eggs....

BUT, I also market birds (layers and babies) and hatching eggs, and select roosters...

And I give birds to people who just happen to need some.

Right now I have: 16 Delaware hens and 2 roos. 23 RIR hens including pullets and 1 roo. 12 Barred Rock hens and 3 roos. 4 Australorp hens. 15 Buff Orpington hens and 1 roo. 1 Blue Orpington roo. 6 Ameracauna hens and 1 roo. 2 Buckeye hens and 1 roo. 1 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte pair. 1 Speckled Sussex pair. 2 miscellaneous red roosters. 4 miscellaneous purebred pullets. 35 Coturnix quail. 1 Sultan cockerel, 4 or 5 unidentified bantam pullets, some gold and silver sebrights, some polish, some dark brahma, some golden campine, some mixed breed standards in the bantam pen, and in the incubator some mixed breed bantams, some speckled sussex, some blue orpington, some blue ameracauna and some buttercups....And about 75 birds in the mail or on order.

ETA: Oh yeah, edited to add the 14 Muscovy ducks and 1 turkey

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

If I had more than a 1/4 acre... sigh... still looking for that perfect little farm house to support my addiction. I want Orps and Favorelles, and Doms, and well.. the list goes on.

 

[chickenlittle32]

Addiction...uh what addiction