It should not be that difficult…

[Mrs. K]

Don’t over crowd.
Keep warm,
Or keep cool.
Keep dry.
Feed a recognizable/balanced feed as primary.
Free choice water.
Keep safe.

That is basically it.

And cull birds. Cull birds that are sick immediately, cull birds that are physically deformed, cull birds that have gotten too old, and you will have a stronger and stronger flock. I can't read the disease and injury forum, because I really think some people just get chickens so they can doctor them.

I keep a flock, birds come in and out of it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Too true.

One thing that helps me with impulse control is to have a rule about buying stuff.

I want this. Ok, wait two weeks. Do you still want this?

1) Yes.
What do I have to do to get this/take care of this/afford this? Figure that out.

2) No.
Good thing I didn't get it then!

Unfortunately for me my husband likes to override my impulse control.

Me: "I think I might want this"
Him: "Ok, buy it"
Me: "Shouldn't I think about it?"
Him: "If you want it, buy it"

Thankfully he has almost no desire to buy things for himself! Though it's thanks to him that we got 4 more chicks last year, when we were already getting more eggs than we could eat. He's already started to ask if we're getting more chickens next year. We STILL don't need more eggs.

 

[Brooks_]

Unfortunately for me my husband likes to override my impulse control.

Me: "I think I might want this"
Him: "Ok, buy it"
Me: "Shouldn't I think about it?"
Him: "If you want it, buy it"

Thankfully he has almost no desire to buy things for himself! Though it's thanks to him that we got 4 more chicks last year, when we were already getting more eggs than we could eat. He's already started to ask if we're getting more chickens next year. We STILL don't need more eggs.

You could look for low producers.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You could look for low producers.

We already do. I pick breeds on physical appearance first, and specifically steer away from any productive breeds.

Turns out, I eat fewer eggs than I thought!

 

[Brooks_]

I eat fewer eggs than I thought!

Same here. Kinda glad they're freeloading.

 

[bhawk-23]

So... different point of view here
I am that person who goes all out with something then loses interest. I have zero impulse control and definitely just do it since hubs travels most of the year and I can. I do not think things through and usually need help in the end, which falls on DH almost always. As you can imagine, this has been very difficult for me, and others, to live with.
BUT!
Side note: This is NOT the case for my animals.

I am saying this because in late spring I was prescribed Ritalin, after psych testing for my seizures, and holy s*** this was a game changer! I have impulse control and better emotional regulation. Other benefits also, but my point is there are many people who don't have these important skills whether they know/understand it or not. I certainly didn't. Unfortunately for most it's the animals that pay the price.
For me, it's the humans. My animals didn't make the decision to live here, I decided for them and are innocent and deserve the best, no matter what.
This is just my experience and most definitely not an excuse for that behavior. I always have the best of intentions, just not the ability to always see it through without help.
At 45 years old, I am finally understanding, getting a name for this and a grip on the situation. No more chickens for me, I have enough!!!! Hahaha

 

[Naisha]

Too true.

One thing that helps me with impulse control is to have a rule about buying stuff.

I want this. Ok, wait two weeks. Do you still want this?

1) Yes.
What do I have to do to get this/take care of this/afford this? Figure that out.

2) No.
Good thing I didn't get it then!

That’s a really really good advice, and that’s actually what I do. A friend of mine who spends a lot of money on silly stuff she doesn’t need asked me for advice to save money, I told her exactly that and she looked at me as if I was an heretic monster or something hahah! She thought I was kidding at first because “how on earth would anyone do that”?

Precisely some days ago my partner and I were thinking “aww it would be nice to have a couple more pullets”, we have the space and separated coop + run where they can see each other and everything. But these days we’ve found out we have more eggs than we can eat, so we’re not going to get those pullets.

 

[Sally PB]

I am saying this because in late spring I was prescribed Ritalin, after psych testing for my seizures, and holy s*** this was a game changer!

I am so glad you found this out! Sometimes people are quick to condemn "pills" to resolve mental issues. It can totally be a matter of brain chemistry. Fix the imbalance, the problem gets better, sometimes remarkably so.

No one thinks a type I diabetic should "just deal with" their blood sugar. They need insulin to make their body process sugar correctly.

 

[Alohacayo]

So... different point of view here
I am that person who goes all out with something then loses interest. I have zero impulse control and definitely just do it since hubs travels most of the year and I can. I do not think things through and usually need help in the end, which falls on DH almost always. As you can imagine, this has been very difficult for me, and others, to live with.
BUT!
Side note: This is NOT the case for my animals.

I am saying this because in late spring I was prescribed Ritalin, after psych testing for my seizures, and holy s*** this was a game changer! I have impulse control and better emotional regulation. Other benefits also, but my point is there are many people who don't have these important skills whether they know/understand it or not. I certainly didn't. Unfortunately for most it's the animals that pay the price.
For me, it's the humans. My animals didn't make the decision to live here, I decided for them and are innocent and deserve the best, no matter what.
This is just my experience and most definitely not an excuse for that behavior. I always have the best of intentions, just not the ability to always see it through without help.
At 45 years old, I am finally understanding, getting a name for this and a grip on the situation. No more chickens for me, I have enough!!!! Hahaha

Hey! Hi! I was always the odd one. Hyper focused is my middle name… until you get to well, “normal” stuff that everyone else never has a problem with.

After decades of “dealing with it”, and a few very serious health issues, my pcp went “hold up, let’s take a bigger look at this.”

After testing, multiple referrals, and sideways discovering my siblings and most of my cousins have add/adhd (some diagnosed as children, we’re all now in our 40’s/50’s)…a few of us test really high on Asperger’s too.

Anyway, I started meds abt 8 years ago, didn’t tell anyone, and almost instantaneously had mutuals commenting. Life got SO MUCH simpler. And I could sleep. Was a TOTAL game changer.

It was incredible discovering that what gets most people “high” puts me into a nap. I honestly don’t know how I functioned before.

So again, hi! Glad you’ve had success and found help.

I still go down rabbit holes. But now those rabbit holes usually lead to a better functioning life. Everything is still intense, but now it’s a good intense, and dealing with regular/everyday stuff now works too.

, Merry Christmas all!

 

[bhawk-23]

Hey! Hi! I was always the odd one. Hyper focused is my middle name… until you get to well, “normal” stuff that everyone else never has a problem with.

After decades of “dealing with it”, and a few very serious health issues, my pcp went “hold up, let’s take a bigger look at this.”

After testing, multiple referrals, and sideways discovering my siblings and most of my cousins have add/adhd (some diagnosed as children, we’re all now in our 40’s/50’s)…a few of us test really high on Asperger’s too.

Anyway, I started meds abt 8 years ago, didn’t tell anyone, and almost instantaneously had mutuals commenting. Life got SO MUCH simpler. And I could sleep. Was a TOTAL game changer.

It was incredible discovering that what gets most people “high” puts me into a nap. I honestly don’t know how I functioned before.

So again, hi! Glad you’ve had success and found help.

I still go down rabbit holes. But now those rabbit holes usually lead to a better functioning life. Everything is still intense, but now it’s a good intense, and dealing with regular/everyday stuff now works too.

, Merry Christmas all!

I love finding my peeps

It definitely runs in families and after my 3rd son who tested ADHD inattentive I started to wonder more. He is extremely smart but his executive function is less than 5%. Fine motor skills suck, slow processing disorder, tons of sensory issues, zero emotion regulation and no impulse control all combine to create extreme anxiety and voila, that's me. Bingo! We know we are frustrating the shit out of everyone around us but we don't know how the flip to fix it

Sorry OP, I hijacked your thread. Just a different perspective. My animals are cared for in such a way that when I watch others I think "Really? It's not that hard!". But come to my house, look around and I can guarantee you'll leave scratching your head thinking "gosh, it's really not that hard!"