It happened to me, too many chickens

[cottontail farm]

Over the years I've been very good at culling old layers every fall and keeping a small productive flock. But now it's finally happened. This fall I have a beautiful mixed flock of 18 birds and am having a hard time getting my numbers down because of all sorts of reasons.. this chicken is friendly... that one is pretty.. this one is the daughter of a favorite rooster that died. Blah, blah, blah...
I've gone soft.
We can house them all but I panick when I think of all the eggs come spring. Realistically we need, oh, 8 hens or so.
I've become that crazy chicken lady.

 

[Kiki]

Over the years I've been very good at culling old layers every fall and keeping a small productive flock. But now it's finally happened. This fall I have a beautiful mixed flock of 18 birds and am having a hard time getting my numbers down because of all sorts of reasons.. this chicken is friendly... that one is pretty.. this one is the daughter of a favorite rooster that died. Blah, blah, blah...
I've gone soft.
We can house them all but I panick when I think of all the eggs come spring. Realistically we need, oh, 8 hens or so.
I've become that crazy chicken lady.

It's ok.

 

[CountryFlock]

Why is this so relatable.

Make sure to use your own judgement and good luck! I really understand how you feel.

 

[cottontail farm]

I know this the last place to look for help. Let's face it, we're mostly a bunch of chicken collecting enablers around here. Lol.

 

[mamablair]

I need to make room for new layers this spring, but part of me is like or I could build another coop.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

If it makes you feel better... I acquired 5 chickens (2 roos and 3 hens) a month back and they are old, ugly and don't lay eggs lol. I feel bad for them cause they lived in a tiny cement coop w/o outside access. I figure they can live out their lives in the grass and sun. I'm a sucker too, at least the birds you cant cull are pretty to look at

 

[chrissynemetz]

Oh I can SO relate.....
All I can say is.... welcome to the club

 

[Folly's place]

YES!!!
Mary

 

[BarredRockMom]

There's Chicken Math and then there's the Chicken Effect. You HAVE as many chickens as you do because of Chicken Math.

You KEEP the amount of chickens that you have AND contemplate things like building a 2nd coop, adding additional chickens, getting so & so a breed companion so they won't be the odd one out...and any number of other things because of the Chicken Effect.

It's why 1+1 always equals more than 2 and everyone knows you can't just have 2. Why? Because what if something happens to 1 or to the +1? See? THE CHICKEN EFFECT!!

Like Newton's Laws of Physics, The Chicken Effect is real. And it's why I personally run an old age home for chickens. They are making me. They hypnotize and trick me with their fluffy, chirping chicken ways. They are the real bosses of our house and they just allow us to live here. And I am wondering what treat to serve them tomorrow....gaaah!!

 

[Folly's place]

Pretty is good! Having three breeding groups, when two were plenty! Must keep a rooster and a cockerel for each group, right? And love the egg colors, who can pass up the various colors?
Enablers, all of us...
Mary