I am addicted... and stupid...

[blessedchickenmama7]

Okay, I have 11 chicks between 3-5 weeks old all residing together and doing quite well. These are my first chicks since I was a child.

Anyway, went to the feed store today to get supplies for the chicks I have and guess what they had! 2 brooders full of the cutest black sex links and Rhode Island Reds you've ever seen. My girls (ages 3 and 4) really wanted some, so I brought home 2 black sex links. I am addicted to baby chicks! And I have 5 golden comets coming tomorrow. They are not quite two weeks old. Now I have all these different ages. What was I thinking????

Here's the stupid part. I brought those two babies home and tried to put them in with my other chicks. They are so sweet and I have, well HAD, no peckers in the bunch. For three or four minutes one of the older hens (at least I think she is a hen) "protected" them and let no one else near them. Then SHE pecked on of the little babies, then my favorite rooster rushes over and picks the baby up in his mouth. I shrieked and he immediately dropped him and the whole bunch flapped and squawked like crazy. The little baby was unhurt, but my nerves were shot.

So I took the two sweet babies out and put them by themselves in a makeshift brooder. Now, I'll probably have three brooders going tomorrow when the Comets come. Addiction is harder to hide when you have keep getting more brooders. My husband is going to think I've lost my mind tomorrow. Everyone else around here already does. Like raising chickens is the grossest thing they ever heard of. Wonder where they think their eggs and chicken come from?

Sorry for the rant. I just need to say, My name is Sonia... and I'm addicted... and stupid...

 

[vickig]

Oh girl you made me laugh. My family thinks I'm nuts too. I wanted to keep a pet steer.....I'm 47 years old.

It didn't work, at 6 months old he was knocking me down wanting to play.

We need a 12 step program....

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

Quote:
A pet steer? Horns and all? Wow! I know you played with him, too. You probably did whatever he wanted, huh?

We've got a lot in common. I am 42, and I want some goats. Everyone keeps telling me they're nasty and will butt me. I'm just gonna whip out the pet steer story next time. It'll make the goats seem like not such a big deal.

 

[WriterofWords]

Quote:
ok, you try explaining why you burst out laughing in front of a bunch of 6th graders and then started crying!

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I have to hold myself in check because if it was up to me I'd keep getting more and more chickens. However, my husband would probably move my stuff out to the chicken coop.

My son is now showing signs of this sickness since he has started reading and posting on this forum.
We lost a chick yesterday morning, and he called me at work asking me to stop at the feedstore to get him another one.

I had to set a good example and tell him no, but deep down inside, I really wanted to get at least 2 more. Never mind that we just had 2 broodies hatch 12 chicks and have another one sitting on 2 eggs.

Is there any help for us?

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

Quote:
ok, you try explaining why you burst out laughing in front of a bunch of 6th graders and then started crying!

Sorry for that! Not the best choice of words. If it makes you feel any better, I am a pastor's wife and "pecker" really did just mean "chicken who pecks". Now that I know how mean they were to those babies, I suppose that word could be dual purpose.

So how DID you explain that to those 6th graders?

 

[vickig]

No horns. None of our calves are born with horns, that is the big advantage of raising brangus

He is a sweet boy.

 

[moodusnewchick]

Hi my name is **
I too am addicted and stupid
The original plan was a SMALL backyard flock, three was the plan.
I started with six giving myself a 50% chance of death to disease, predators, my stupidity...etc
The six are are now 6.5 weeks old, they are in their coop, last night they persuaded me to let them keep the coop hatch open so they could roost in the fresh air (covered run). I let them, they're so grown, I thought I should trust them. Oh, I forgot to mention, this was an order of pullets. The unexpected roo began practicing a few days ago. As I lay in bed typing at 6am today, he has clearly figured out his vocal chords.
So, why am I stupid? Like most of us here, my friends and family don't understand the value of really knowing where your eggs and chicken come from and how they are treated. I went to the feed store the other day for Bearded Dragon crickets and worms, and why not some more chick feed too. I thought chick days were over. It wasn't fair of them to have baby chicks and ambush me. At least if there had been a sign warning me, I could have talked to myself before getting out of the car. So, they had meat birds. I want to know if I can dispatch and really move towards self sufficiency. I planned on three meat birds. At the register, I was informed that state law mandates the purchase of at least six at one time. So four meat birds and two cute babies I knew nothing about. The babies are a black tailed white Japanese bantam and RIR bantam. I never planned on bantams....the Japanese is so tiny and SO CUTE!! To finish my rant of addicted stupidity, I knew full well when I went to feed store that I have an order of 10 straight run Buckeyes due for Monday. So yeah, the only thing I can see wrong with this addiction is the various ages and the need for more brooders!!

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

Vickig,

He is a handsome boy! But horns or no, if he's that much bigger than me, I'd still be a-skeered! I guess if you raised him from birth though it does make it easier.

And

Moodusnewchick,

My husband didn't freak out like I thought. And I did pick up the golden comets today. They did not do well in the brooder with the older chicks (they are about 2 weeks) because of the really roostery roo I have who is only about 6 weeks but thinks he's all man. (I am proud of him and know he's just doing his job of protecting "his" flock and these are foreigners. ) But anyway, I put the new golden comets in with the really, really little black sex links. No roosters in that box unless they were sexed wrong. Everyone in that box is being sweet and settled in nicely. And the other box has calmed down nicely, too. Now I think I'll head back to the feed store to see if I can pick up a few more since I know I'll only have to have the one more brooder. Nows the time. If I wait then I'll have to have a third one...

Yeah, that's why I'm telling my husband I need to do it anyway...

Sonia

 

[2manyhats]

My name is Kimberly and I too am addicted. It started out with a comment that I miss having chickens. I got 24 RIR chicks for my birthday (straight run) from DH and daughter. Then I found out that you can buy fertilized eggs. So, I spent birthday money from Dad on an incubator. My first hatch of Cuckoo Marans and Polish are due 6/10. But, the Auracana eggs that I ordered never arrived and I had to start the hatch. Now they are due to arrive today. So I had to get another incubator. Then, DH wants to buy 6 turkeys from the feed store, but they don't have any. So, we ordered eggs. I'm gonna have brooders everywhere. Did I mention that DH and I work 50 hours a week. I guess birds are cheaper than counseling and are so much fun to raise.

Addicted, but happy. What's life without chaos?