How old is 'too old' ? and Chicken Math?

[fmernyer]

So now I totally understand Chicken Math. Here's my story:

There's some very fat hawks and foxes in our area so I needed to replenish my stock.

Thanks to TSC's stupid rules I was forced to buy 6 chicks even though I only needed 3-4. I've since lost one.

So I have 5 tetra tints but what I really wanted was a blue egg playing bird....come to find out there's a feed store in the neighboring town that had americaunas and none of those pesky minimums. I got two because I can't hardly bring home one baby.

So. I have a coop that will fit 7 birds. 2 REALLY SWEET americauna chicks. 5 tetra tints. And my 3 sweet two year old chickens.

Going in to this I knew that I would have to give away some chickens so I'm alright with that...but then there's that niggling chicken math making me greedy....

And then there's the practical perspective: those three sweet birds that I already have are just going to lay less and less...and although I wouldn't be able to give them up without some reservations (and I'd find a decent home for them) I'm not interested in feeding birds that are seriously declining in egg production (of course - these aren't yet - but I'm looking to the future).

Extending the coop we already have is not an option because of the way it's built. Getting another coop to put next to it is a distant option - as long as the new coop doesn't break the bank (coops are expensive, y'all!).

I've considered getting rid of ONE of the older birds...and then having 2 two year old birds, 2 or 3 tetra tints and 2 americaunas...but then it seems kinda mean to just rehome one bird....

Am I making too much of this? I should be happy with the 3 two year olds, the 2 americaunas and the 2 tetra tints. That would leave me with finding a home for 3 tetra tint pullets. Which should be easy, I imagine. lol

For some reason I just can't wrap my head around it. Maybe I'm just feeling too greedy when I think about giving away three birds - lol. I think its because I keep thinking that the 2 year olds are just getting older. Is that a crazy way to think? What do other chicken people think?

Thanks for any of your comments!

~Dawn

 

[donrae]

Here's something to consider......

If you keep the older birds, and sell the extra Tints. Your older birds are laying now (I'd assume, pretty much all my 2 year old birds are) but will quit this fall, right about when the new chicks start laying. You could at that point sell all the older birds instead of carrying them over the winter. That way you have higher producing birds over the winter, and a lower feed bill. You could then have space for more chicks in early spring....who would again start laying in the late summer when the older girls are getting ready to take a break. Keeps a nice rotation going for you. You could also look at getting new chicks later this fall, when you sell the older birds, instead of waiting until spring....this just depends on your set up, etc.

 

[fmernyer]

Thank you!