Is anyone else obsessive about keeping their chickens?

[dawg53]

Hahahaha! Maybe we all need a 12 step program to curb our chicken addiction. Nah....more likely adding 12 more chickens lol.

 

[gryeyes]

Obsessive? That's my middle name! I'm kinda scared: I don't have a spouse to rein me in.

I did ask a BYCer who was with me at a feed store to make sure I didn't bring home any more chicks.... she did good!

I was worried that my broody's small clutch wouldn't produce anything and I would have to go buy a couple chicks to sneak under her, but one of her eggs hatched. So now I have a GrandChick! That has been so much more fun than buying chicks....

.....and I actually have an incubator I bought a month or so ago. But, knowing my proclivities, I got one that only holds 7 eggs. Haven't used it yet. I like the "broody hatches 'em" procedure, so maybe I won't need to start that incubator up any time soon. But I DO have it.

And I do not yet possess a Buckeye, or a Speckled Sussex.

 

[mkeawsh]

As you can see from my signature, I am also obsessed and my DH keeps saying if it makes me happy keep on incubating. He has made a high-quality house for them for night and four chicken tractors that I can add on or take off as many as I think are needed. Plus he has made a separate chicken tractor for any special uses. I have incubated and brooded all of mine in our living room.

and can not get enough of it. I have had some of my favorites disappear because of hawks, owls, raccoons and coyotes (you should have heard the pack of coyotes last night

) but would never keep them from free-ranging. They are so much more happy that way and I enjoy watching them be happy.

As far as roosters, I currently have eight that all get along and crow every morning and through out the entire day. I have gotten so used to hearing them, that I don't hear them. We will be culling one tonight because it has become aggressive toward the grand kids when they come over and that is UNACCEPTABLE! What still bothers me is when the hens get up from laying and have to walk around for the next 10 - 20 minutes bawkin' and sometimes the roosters and other hens start chiming in the same way. It gets to be a little loud and annoying. I usually go and find the culprit and pick her up and get her to quiet down, which finally gets the others to end.

 

[The Lisser]

I have to say that I TOTALLY understand the obsessive animal syndrome!!! I bought a farm just to keep some pet goats from the local science center that needed a home . . . then I got into llamas . . . and went from one cat to SEVEN . . .now three dogs too . . . so I am right there with you. If I had more income it would probably be worse! Also my hubby TRIES to keep me in line.

As to the chickens, we currently have 7 cockerels and 2 pullets. I know that spells recipe for disaster. The cockerels are just starting to act like boys. I'm hoping that hubby and I can build a tractor this week to put my 2 little pullets in - and our favorite cockerel, Liberace, who is a silkie mix. I am hoping that once the pullets are out of the picture the cockerels will get along - we really love them all. They free-range during the day and stay in a coop at night. So my next thought is to get more pullets . . . you know how that is!

As to the crowing, we run a fan at night to block out noise. When some folks bought the house down the road and promptly put up about 30 rooster cages, we became immune to rooster crowing after a few months.

 

[NHchicks]

mkeawsh - That's what my chickens do - sing a chorus. One never quite knows when or why. They all join in the racket. I think sometimes they believe they are songbirds.

But about your hubby - better treat him like a king! Any chick-enabling guy like that is sure to be a hot commodity. If guys ever want to snag a girl for life, I suggest wearing slogans like "I art: my chickens". Around here, they'd get snatched up in a second.

 

[chicmom]

Get a bigger coop! You sound like a chick-a-holic! LOL Too bad you don't like your rooster crowing...I love that sound in the morning. Now, the best time to catch him will be after dark--they become very docile at night.

Good luck, whatever you do.....I started off with 3 chicks, now a year and a half later, I've got 20 chickens and I just LOVE THEM!