I don't need anymore chickens...oh that's a nice breed I want some.

[Captain Carrot]

Hello,

When I started out with chickens, I got myself 4 Light Sussex POL's and a cockerel. I thought that in the peak of laying 4 eggs a day would be plenty with a few to sell or barter with.

Two weeks later I got myself three Isa Browns (I think they're production reds in the US) and five Pekin ducklings (I later got some muscovy ducklings as my Pekins where killed by a dog). I bred the Sussex and crossed the Isa Browns, and soon had loads of chicks.
I swapped a spare cockerel for a beautiful bantam. I also started to breed my Muscovies.

Basically I went poultry potty. At one time I had about 4O chickens or various ages, and 30 Muscovy ducks. I've now (with the help of a few foxes...gits) reduced my flock to 7 chickens and a few ducks.

It's starting again though. In two weeks I'm going to double the size of my flock by adding two new breeds. They'll be going into temporary coops and runs, until I convert a 300 square foot shed for them. I'm also tempted to visit my friendly bantam breeder in the near future and get some Owl Beards.

I'm one of those Poor People with Poultry Problems.


So when you started out, how many did you start off with and how obsessed did you become? Are you also one of those Poor People with Poultry Problems?

 

[mychookschick]

LOL... Yea, I am "One of those Poor People with a poultry problem"!

Well, I fell in love with them before I got them so I started out with 25! To make a long story short, I am now at 20 with more chicks on the way this spring! If I could keep more, I definitely would! LOL

 

[jenesis536]

I'm on the same boat as you are. I got 6... probably too many for my family of 5 but I wanted the variety... 1 one a roo so he went bye bye, and now I have 9 more to replace him. Unfortunately 3-4 look like roos including the one cochin that I really really wanted... so I might have to get another batch when these ones move to the coop and get rehomed to replace the cochin... that could mean another 6, and why not through a new breed in there.... those Polish are really neat and now I want a silkie to dye (I won't get one but geez that even melted my husband's heart)....

Chickens are dangerous. I think they have some sort of mind-control thing going on.

 

[ChickGirl6]

I started out with 25 EE's, then I found some Cochin's and then some Marans. I ended up with about 60 chickens and 6 ducklings. The ducklings were planed and ordered with the EE's. I am now down to 10 EE's, 9 Marans and 5 Cochin's. All my ducks were killed by a mink.

The good news is this spring I'm getting 6 ducklings and hatching out a bunch of chicks.

The ducklings are going to be Blue Swedes.

and I'm going to get some Speckled Sussex Eggs to hatch.

 

[itsjustjen]

I think I have chicken ADD. 3 weeks ago I HATED birds of any kind and saw chickens as "food with feet" only. 2 weeks ago I go into the feed store for alfalfa pellets and come out with a chick and a duckling only to send Dh back an hour later for 2 more chicks. NOW I am looking at incubators! I have lost my mind!

 

[Captain Carrot]

chickens do kind of grow on you.

 

[SunnyDawn]

I think it's this disease that is keeping BYC thriving!

I started with 5 and was sure the neighbors were going to have a fit! When my one grumpy neighbor said "Oh that is the coolest thing you've ever done" I was off! I added 5 more the following week, then added 9 more a few weeks after that.
Now I have 2 breeding pens and a laying pen, 40 something birds and am getting ready to set a bunch more eggs in the bator this weekend.

 

[itsjustjen]

Quote:
Yes, yes they do. I am looking at some more interesting breeds to boot. DH wants a Polish because of the fluff feathers on the crown, I want some Delwares, Silver laced Wyandottes, Blue Red laced Wyandottes and of course some EEs!!

 

[Captain Carrot]

Quote:
Yes, yes they do. I am looking at some more interesting breeds to boot. DH wants a Polish because of the fluff feathers on the crown, I want some Delwares, Silver laced Wyandottes, Blue Red laced Wyandottes and of course some EEs!!

I know what you mean, my GF bought me a chicken breed book....BAD idea. Now I want chickens that I didn't even know existed.

 

[love_a_duck]

Quote:
Yes, yes they do. I am looking at some more interesting breeds to boot. DH wants a Polish because of the fluff feathers on the crown, I want some Delwares, Silver laced Wyandottes, Blue Red laced Wyandottes and of course some EEs!!

I know what you mean, my GF bought me a chicken breed book....BAD idea. Now I want chickens that I didn't even know existed.

"Darling, look how beautiful this hen is! Surely we can get it from the US to Austria without any problems. At a minimal cost.
But, think, I (I mean we) will be the only people who have this heritage American breed."

I love to see breeds I havent seen before.

Beth