I am quickly becoming obsessed with chickens

[JusticeFamilyFarm]

You all are not kidding! This stuff is addicting. I only moved into my house with room for all of this about 4 months ago... and then we got a dog... then it was spring and there were chicks in all the feed stores and my husband knew the deal was "if we have room, we're getting chickens". The plan was to get 4-6. I got 9. Then we were at another feed store and they had some other breeds... so I got 5 more. Now I am trying to control myself until the coop is ready- I don't have room for more chicks in the brooders! Then my husband mentioned how nice it would be to have some goats help him out with the weeds... 2 days ago I picked up 2 of 'em.

I already have visions of next year- with my eggs hatching and my doe being bred... hubby doesn't know anything about these plans yet.

 

[stcroixusvi]

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Exactly. I only want to experience the first "pip" and that's it, I promise.

 

[gryeyes]

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Hmm... so true. It'd just be a little incubator, one of those Mini Advance jobs with the turning disks that only holds seven eggs - sort of a gateway incubator. That couldn't hurt, could it?

That's exactly what I started with, the Gateway ..... I mean, Brinsea MiniAdvance incubator. I now own two MiniAdvance EX units, and three Brinsea Octagon20 Advance EX units, plus the original MiniAdvance.

Stupid-proof incubators. Really rewarding and satisfying for any newcomer to incubating. Ahhhhh, to hatch your very own little chickens from something you could just as easily have eaten for breffus one day.... It's a rush!

 

[NYRIR]

Ummm...we are ALL addicted to chickens here...and now I have crossed over....and am addicted to geese,turkeys and ducks as well

 

[jen5680]

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[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Before we left California I was reading the chicken laws for the different cities in Texas. So I figured, OK 4 chickens, no roos. Then we got our house with 1 acre in the country, OK I can get more. Had my list of what I wanted, was checking out Craig's list & even called a few before we left to see what may be available a month after we arrived.
To date we have 15 chicks, started with 6 on May 18th (3 Barred Rocks, 2 BO & 1 Wyandotte). Two days later, at another feed store, they had more BO, so I got 4, but no EE.

2 weeks later, went to get more chick start, and they had EE, so I got 3, two weeks later, went in for (I don't even remember)

and they had Light Brahma's, OMG they were so cute & fluffy & I so loved their markings, so I got 2.

My hubby asked me, "So every time the chicks lose their fluff, are you going to bring home more?" But he did say he would like a couple of ducks, I want geese. LOL

So yes, I am a Chicken Addict and darn proud of it!

 

[Sassafras]

I wish I understood it myself. I only needed 4 hens but agreed to split 12 (NH Min.) with friend now I am keeping 9, or maybe 10 if I can bear to let them go. Noooooo!!
But I'd really like a Delaware, and a BO and....well, you know the story.

 

[Animalian]

I have to limit myself at the moment because I'm still living with my parents, only two hens at first but once their egg production started to decline it helped my case of getting two more!
I'm working on convincing my partner we should buy a house on a bit of land, because it would be 'nice'.

Little does he know it will be the base for my chicken EMPIRE

 

[navychick]

Potatoe Chips with feathers!

 

[Flawedatdesign]

Well I have always heard when buying chicks you buy 3 times the amount you want to keep

. That way incase of Loss you end up with the right amount. Plus if you have no loss then it's a bonus .

I find it neat that you can take something from egg form to feathers in about 2 months in most cases.

Plus look at the bright side you can claim your preparing for an emergency as in-case the stores ever stop selling eggs and chicken your ready.