Is 300 chickens enough?

[lazy gardener]

Excellent post by @ChocolateMouse

 

[ChocolateMouse]

@Krazyquilts @lazy gardener

Thanks. I know that I am not vegetarian and it's sometimes hard for me to make those choices too, so I can't imagine someone who is veg and trying to give them a pet quality life having an easier time.

I have a splash ameraucana who is getting older, like 4-5 or so, and she only lays about 3 eggs a week at her peak... They're always mis-shapen and lumpy. This spring she seemed to catch a cold and was sneezing for about two weeks and had me real worried. I love her, she's one of my favorite birds, she's worked so hard to survive, she's survived countless hawk bombings and coon attacks... Most recently a coon got into the coop itself and she survived scott free by playing possum. She was lying, dead and belly-up on the coop floor immobile and when I touched her she bounced to her feet totally unharmed. She's super chill to other birds and helps keep the whole flock a little steadier and calmer. She always makes nice with new birds that are introduced. She's a fighter, a trooper, I like her SO much.

I wanna let her keep going but soon she's going to catch something she can't heal from, she'll become eggbound, or who knows what other problems... No way I can take her to a vet, I would wave goodbye to every dollar and cent she's given me over the last few years and then some in just one trip. And she's not laying well, plus I only have so much space for chickens since my whole property is 1/4 acre... Every year she lays a little less and gets a little worse health-wise. So this will be her last year in the flock. I'm already raising out her replacements. She'll be buried in the compost pile this fall (she's too small and old to be worth feeling sad over eating her, so she'll go on to grow our vegetables instead) and there will be room for a robust, healthy young bird in her place. I don't want to do it but it has to be done.

We kept her around because we fudge things a little around here. As a pet she could live out her life as long as she wanted, but she's not a pet. We just have wiggle room. There's no wiggle room when a single sneezing hen could kill off 100 chickens. If I were doing this on a larger scale she would have been replaced when she hit 3 years old and started laying lumpy eggs and her risk for egg binding skyrocketed. As it is she's been kept around too long already and soon her weaker immune system could put the rest of the flock at risk.

I do think making choices like when to remove a member of the flock is tough, but essential for anything but a pet flock. Even when you have a free-range organic flock that's well cared for, sometimes you have to remove birds that have the potential to keep living longer lives. It's just how things go.

 

[bobbi-j]

@Krazyquilts @lazy gardener

Thanks. I know that I am not vegetarian and it's sometimes hard for me to make those choices too, so I can't imagine someone who is veg and trying to give them a pet quality life having an easier time.

I have a splash ameraucana who is getting older, like 4-5 or so, and she only lays about 3 eggs a week at her peak... They're always mis-shapen and lumpy. This spring she seemed to catch a cold and was sneezing for about two weeks and had me real worried. I love her, she's one of my favorite birds, she's worked so hard to survive, she's survived countless hawk bombings and coon attacks... Most recently a coon got into the coop itself and she survived scott free by playing possum. She was lying, dead and belly-up on the coop floor immobile and when I touched her she bounced to her feet totally unharmed. She's super chill to other birds and helps keep the whole flock a little steadier and calmer. She always makes nice with new birds that are introduced. She's a fighter, a trooper, I like her SO much.

I wanna let her keep going but soon she's going to catch something she can't heal from, she'll become eggbound, or who knows what other problems... No way I can take her to a vet, I would wave goodbye to every dollar and cent she's given me over the last few years and then some in just one trip. And she's not laying well, plus I only have so much space for chickens since my whole property is 1/4 acre... Every year she lays a little less and gets a little worse health-wise. So this will be her last year in the flock. I'm already raising out her replacements. She'll be buried in the compost pile this fall (she's too small and old to be worth feeling sad over eating her, so she'll go on to grow our vegetables instead) and there will be room for a robust, healthy young bird in her place. I don't want to do it but it has to be done.

We kept her around because we fudge things a little around here. As a pet she could live out her life as long as she wanted, but she's not a pet. We just have wiggle room. There's no wiggle room when a single sneezing hen could kill off 100 chickens. If I were doing this on a larger scale she would have been replaced when she hit 3 years old and started laying lumpy eggs and her risk for egg binding skyrocketed. As it is she's been kept around too long already and soon her weaker immune system could put the rest of the flock at risk.

I do think making choices like when to remove a member of the flock is tough, but essential for anything but a pet flock. Even when you have a free-range organic flock that's well cared for, sometimes you have to remove birds that have the potential to keep living longer lives. It's just how things go.

 

[lazy gardener]

I do think making choices like when to remove a member of the flock is tough, but essential for anything but a pet flock.

Even in a pet flock, it may be necessary to remove a disease vector. Bottom line: one must do what is best for the flock. Occasionally, a single bird must be sacrificed for the good of the flock.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I guess my question with your plan is what will you do with hens once they get older and stop laying with regular frequency? Are you still willing to feed hundreds of older birds that are no longer contributing regularly? If not, what is the plan to get rid of those birds, as you won't be eating them (and I assume don't want to see them get eaten either).

As far as price per dozen, I can't answer that as I don't know what prices are like in your area. In my area eggs can go for almost $10 a dozen, but that's definitely not the norm in most areas of the country.

10$ a dozen!

 

[Krazyquilts]

10$ a dozen!

I get $8 per dozen for duck eggs.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I get $8 per dozen for duck eggs.

i pay $2.50!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

That is the going price around here!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've never bought the $10 a dozen ones (and yes they're just chicken eggs) but I was paying $8 a dozen when I finally ran out this winter. I might've had enough eggs saved up for myself and husband... but then had extended family visit for a few weeks and they were eating 3 or 4 a day, so bye bye stockpile!

 

[Duckstail]

Good news i crunched the numbers and all these people are wrong.... u need 30,000 chicks... So get to shopping and post pics along the way!!! Good luck!

Also like they said maybe go with a more calm breed? Or just say screw it get two of each!