I can't keep them all :(

[Isadora]

Bumping up because I'm bummed every time I have to walk past the chicks I'm not keeping, I'm feeling weak, and I need some encouragement that I've made a good decision and it will be okay. @fluffycrow @Party_Chicken @3KillerBs @TheDawg @BastyPutt

Sounds like a solid decision to me, Chippy I know it's hard.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

The day I made my final decision, I started out with one of the Wyandottes, (Ivy, the super friendly one) and Peep, and Carmella, the half red SGE. Beautiful trio IMHO with the black and white mottling, red and white mottling, and then the blonde.

But then it seemed like Carmella and Peep had paired off, so I had to give Ivy her other Wyandotte bestie, too. Then I noticed Carmella moving up the roosts, leaving the other three below. So I tried an experiment, and a funny thing happened.

When I pulled Carmella, Peep scooched over and snuggled into the same ladder rung with the other two Wyandottes! I don't know how much of that was a fluke or a reflection of their temperaments, but I wanted to pick chicks that would "gel" well, and when I saw the Wyandottes let her squeeze in, I thought that was a very good sign.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Sounds like a solid decision to me, Chippy I know it's hard.

Every time I walk past her, I'm like, but Isa loves Carmella!!!! Lol and she's great, one of the easier ones to catch, I think. Ughh. Why is this so hard.

 

[Isadora]

Every time I walk past her, I'm like, but Isa loves Carmella!!!!

'tis true, but they're not my chickens.

Why is this so hard.

Because you love them. But you're doing a wonderful thing by realizing you don't have the space and housing for that many right now. Too many people think it will be fine and cram a bunch of birds in too small of a space and then have social and hygiene issues. It's great you're doing what's best for their well being, even though it's hard to part with them.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

'tis true, but they're not my chickens.

Because you love them. But you're doing a wonderful thing by realizing you don't have the space and housing for that many right now. Too many people think it will be fine and cram a bunch of birds in too small of a space and then have social and hygiene issues. It's great you're doing what's best for their well being, even though it's hard to part with them.

I really do. It was hard enough to detach pretty much immediately from the Bieles, since that was kind of decided off the bat for me. But I really do think the other six make a great subflock, and it breaks my heart to have to split up Marshmallow and Peep, or Carmella and Ruby from Peep... I keep trying to remind myself, they are prey animals, and there are all sorts of reasons they wouldn't be together forever, that they know how to adapt. Of course they don't have the same level of emotion we do about things. And that if I had hatched out 12 chicks and was only planning to keep the best four, it would be the same thing. Not easy, but necessary for the health of the flock going forward.

 

[BastyPutt]

Ultimately, DH insisted that we could only keep three chicks

Doesn't sound very "Darling" to me, Chips. You MAKE him accommodate those chickens.

This is where my wife would give me "the stare". A complete non verbal form of communication where I know, it is better to not say anything, but just get to work doing whatever it is she wants.

I really am sorry about having to part with them. No matter how many chickens I get, they all still feel like children.

 

[Party_Chicken]

I know how difficult it is chipmunk. I had to re home four of my cockerels. I felt like I was betraying them. It was so hard for me to go out and love on them I would pick them up and feel so sad because they were posted on facebook or craiglist. But I after I re homed them I felt resolved that I know I did the righ thing. I have a little cockerel I will be selling at auction and I keep the mindset that my flock is not his flock he is a guest a welcome one that I will care for until he goes to a new home. I am planning on doing meat birds next year and I have started to realize the reality of care without affection which can be important in a lot of cases. You are doing a good thing chipmunk and it’s not like there gone forever. You said there going to your brother right? You can still ask for updates and pictures.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Doesn't sound very "Darling" to me, Chips. You MAKE him accommodate those chickens.

This is where my wife would give me "the stare". A complete non verbal form of communication where I know, it is better to not say anything, but just get to work doing whatever it is she wants.

I really am sorry about having to part with them. No matter how many chickens I get, they all still feel like children.

Thanks, I know you get it. He finally gave me the patience to let me try and explain the pros and cons of each bird, and I think he really tried to understand. But ultimately he really didn't care which ones I picked. (Although I know he is also partial to Peep.) He was just like, pick the best three and be done with it! Lol

But he did tell me not to worry about possible breeding reasons or whatever, just pick based on personality etc. because we can get better stock when it comes time to breed anyway, (except of course my favorite hen he knows I for sure want to breed), so it's reassuring that he's supportive in that way. It's only my second year keeping chickens, and I know Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I know how difficult it is chipmunk. I had to re home four of my cockerels. I felt like I was betraying them. It was so hard for me to go out and love on them I would pick them up and feel so sad because they were posted on facebook or craiglist. But I after I re homed them I felt resolved that I know I did the righ thing. I have a little cockerel I will be selling at auction and I keep the mindset that my flock is not his flock he is a guest a welcome one that I will care for until he goes to a new home. I am planning on doing meat birds next year and I have started to realize the reality of care without affection which can be important in a lot of cases. You are doing a good thing chipmunk and it’s not like there gone forever. You said there going to your brother right? You can still ask for updates and pictures.

Thanks, that is a really great way to look at it. So far the three Bieles are going to him. His coop is tall but only 4x4 (but he has a much bigger run proportionally), and Bielefelders are big. So he could *maybe* handle the five pullets, but then throw a cockerel into the mix, and he's never had chickens before... I just don't think it's the best idea for him to take them all.

I have another friend who lost her flock, so I could give her maybe the trio of SGEs, assuming my brother gets his stuff in line in time, or even all six. But yeah, they would be going to places where I could presumably get updates. Although in some ways, that might even be harder.

 

[Party_Chicken]

Thanks, that is a really great way to look at it. So far the three Bieles are going to him. His coop is tall but only 4x4 (but he has a much bigger run proportionally), and Bielefelders are big. So he could *maybe* handle the five pullets, but then throw a cockerel into the mix, and he's never had chickens before... I just don't think it's the best idea for him to take them all.

I have another friend who lost her flock, so I could give her maybe the trio of SGEs, assuming my brother gets his stuff in line in time, or even all six. But yeah, they would be going to places where I could presumably get updates. Although in some ways, that might even be harder.

Chickens are very curious creatures socially. I only have one hen from my OG batch and she is best friends with one of the two RSL we have not one of her original flock mates by chance. They will grow and adapt.