Is anyone else obsessive about keeping their chickens?

[NHchicks]

I think I may have hoarding tendencies.

I have 4 hens and 1 rooster. The rooster was a (free) addition in March because we wanted to try hatching our own chicks. We were successful, and have 7 living chicks left (1 succombed to a darn raccoon). The chicks are almost 6 weeks old and the mother has now officially dumped them.

So now I have 12 chickens in all (7 chicks/5 grown birds), and don't have room for them all. My coop is one of these: https://www.backyardchickens.com/coops/images/playhouse-coop-2.jpg
but bigger (box part is 4 x 4, entire coop is 4 x 8). They free range all day.

Anyway, the rooster starts crowing by 4 a.m. and crows on and off until about 9 a.m. He's interfering with my sleep. No neighbors have complained, and I don't know how loud he sounds to them (we're rural here). But it's summer and bright daylight and with the windows open, he's driving me crazy.

But I'm attached to him. He pals around mostly with our fat, sweet NH Red. He is a kind rooster and non-aggressive.

I called the feed store and they are willing to take any chicks/rooster I do not want. I told them I wanted to bring them my rooster and 3 of the chicks. Today we tried to catch the rooster, and gave up. First thing in the morning will probably be easier.

But I was relieved we couldn't catch the rooster because the thought of giving him up is really bothering me. On the other hand, we don't need a rooster anymore and he's crazy loud. I also find myself hesitating at giving up my chicks.

I think I need poultry therapy.

Am I alone in not bearing to give away my birds?

 

[dipence71]

and to the addicts homepage LOL.. It will only get worse or better depending on how you look at it. I started with 12 now have 21 and bator full and eggs waiting to go in yo the bator LOL

 

[LadyBeartoothMamma]

love love love love love love:cd
hehehehee Its so hard I went with my daughter to get just three chickens right at our local feed/farm/ranch store we got three Dark Cornish Bantams then they lady looked at my DD and asked her what other ones do you want..

She pointed at two Black Australorps(hens) so I ended up with five but one got taken by a cat and my DD was heartbroken so mom ordered more lol Three Aussies and three standard breeds but one of the standards didnt make it

So now we just have five week old chickies and 3 month old older chicks 8 in total but I want more hehehe and my DH says no I can't have anymore cause our coop isnt big enough neither is the chicken's home hehehe..

But yes its so hard not to get more. Mine are for eggs mainly but one of the Cornish Bantams might have to go hes a rooster and i dont want an extra one

so theres this nice family in Nye here in Montana where I live that want a rooster, still its very hard to let go

 

[Aframechickens191]

I hate having to give up chickens as well....but just think; in the future you will be able to have diferent kinds of chickens to enjoy if you make room for them!

and a rooster interfering with your sleep either needs to be moved so you cant hear him at 4 am or just gotten rid of.

Depending on the feed store he should be in good hands.
Getting attached to your chickens goes without saying when you get them in the first place, but just please keep in mind that things happen and not everything works out 100% of the time. Thats just life.

Id take your roo and keep you posted on him, but I have 4 already and no more enclosures, so sorry

Best of wishes, and hang in there

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ummmmm yeah.......have you seen my signature line?

I'm too far gone. I eye everyone's property looking for potential chicken coops as we're driving places. I'm also building our 3rd coop.

 

[LadyBeartoothMamma]

HAHAHAHAA No kidding Ive caught myself doing that too. Oh its so funny but you then take a moment to realize what am I doing ? lol I have found this one farmer who has two coops and Im thinking to myself hmmmmmm next time Im thru this way Im gonna knock on his door and ask him if he wants to get rid of those coops.

 

[gvntofly05]

I started with 26 chicks. I now have a total of 34 adults and 13 chicks and a bator that will soon be full to capacity with 42 eggs! I will sell what chicks I can but what doesn't get sold I will keep.

I have talked with the hubby about selling off some of my EE's. The ones laying the brown and pink eggs, since I only want the blue and green for Olive Eggers, but I find myself putting off banding the ones to be sold!

I really don't want to get rid of any of them, but if I want to keep hatching I have to!

I am going to build another large coop but I may not get to it before winter.

 

[NHchicks]

Thank you, all. It's helpful to know I'm not the only person obsessed with these beautiful chicks/chickens. They all have their own personalities that are charming, and their different color combinations are really neat. Not everyone really appreciates them like we do on this website.

Eventually I will be forced to reduce the flock since my coop will only hold max of 7-8 chickens comfortably (even tho they free range). But not today.

Tomorrow is another day.

 

[newTexan2chickens]

I have never before owned chickens and a friend (should be ex-friend!) got me hooked! So we bought an old coop (4x4) from a neighbor and moved it onto our property and DH built a yard that was 12x12. Not knowing chickens he only built it 3 ft tall which made it interesting for us to get in there. I had him expand the coop to 12x4 and raise the roof on the yard to about 6 ft within a month of owning the chicks. Then I bought more chickens..... so we just finished the add on to the add on and expanded the yard to 12x30. The coop renovation is scheduled for later this week (depending on weather... maybe Thursday) and it will be expanded to 10x12. I currently have 12 hens, 1 roo and 8 that are about 4 wks old (they have a separate add on to the add on that is 3x10). My DH said STOP THE MADNESS! He put his foot down and said no more add ons! I only want about 20 hens anyway so I think I will have plenty of room.

 

[NHchicks]

Thank goodness for spouses who rein us in from time to time!