Earlier this fall, I took a look at my current birds, from the old Flock masters, to the numerous broody hatched chicks running around that I had been essentially with this season, to the clutches still being sat on by dedicated mamas.
I've had plans for years to breed and sell hatching eggs and chicks, to hopefully have a business that did well enough to cover the costs of the birds I fed and kept. I know it would be folly to expect to support myself and a family on the selling of eggs and chicks, but selling a dozen eggs could feed at least the hens that laid those eggs longer than it took them to lay those dozen eggs in some cases.
When hatching and letting the hens hatch, I realized that boys would be a good portion of most hatches, if not almost the entire hatch (looking at you, cochin Mama). Obviously not many people want to have roosters, let alone pay for them. For a while, I was able to move a few each season with females, and was lucky enough that a neighbor wanted any extras I had one time for feeding their family and to keep a little bantam gentleman with her ladies (her husband wasn't as thrilled with that idea as her daughters were
).
The others would be dealt with as needed to make space because everyone here pulled their weight by making eggs or fathering potential chicks.
Then... this all became very stressful for me. Suddenly, things felt like they were crumbling around me, and they still occasionally do. I realized that the stress was going to start causing physical problems if it continued on, and all along, more boys kept hatching.
I realize others may have differing opinions, and I'm not looking to start a debate. But I feel incredibly guilty when I break hens from brooding simply because I don't want chicks. It's something the bird feels she must do, and as long as she is a good mama, then there isn't a (at least for me) very valid reason to deny her that. So, even when I really don't think I need more chicks, if I find a hen is brooding, I leave her be and just figure she knows what she's doing. They were really good about this when I lost birds to a pair of raccoons, and had the most broodies (most did two batches and I think I had over a dozen individual girls nest) I've ever had.
But that means I have boys upon boys upon boys.
Most are unremarkable. But I think we all know some (especially the ones not preferred for breeding projects) just Weasel their way into your heart. Those were typically the ones I would fight tooth and nail for months, if not a year to rehome somewhere they would be appreciated and allowed to live. I still remember most of them, and I do still miss them.
Rehoming isn't an option anymore for me. Which means those little weasels that I love so much don't have that second chance.
So I have decided that I'm going to keep a Bachelor flock. Not all will stay, but the weasels that behave will be staying to live hopefully long lives. I'll be posting the males that stay in here, and just... talking about my little buddies and my big feathered friends.
I've had plans for years to breed and sell hatching eggs and chicks, to hopefully have a business that did well enough to cover the costs of the birds I fed and kept. I know it would be folly to expect to support myself and a family on the selling of eggs and chicks, but selling a dozen eggs could feed at least the hens that laid those eggs longer than it took them to lay those dozen eggs in some cases.
When hatching and letting the hens hatch, I realized that boys would be a good portion of most hatches, if not almost the entire hatch (looking at you, cochin Mama). Obviously not many people want to have roosters, let alone pay for them. For a while, I was able to move a few each season with females, and was lucky enough that a neighbor wanted any extras I had one time for feeding their family and to keep a little bantam gentleman with her ladies (her husband wasn't as thrilled with that idea as her daughters were
).The others would be dealt with as needed to make space because everyone here pulled their weight by making eggs or fathering potential chicks.
Then... this all became very stressful for me. Suddenly, things felt like they were crumbling around me, and they still occasionally do. I realized that the stress was going to start causing physical problems if it continued on, and all along, more boys kept hatching.
I realize others may have differing opinions, and I'm not looking to start a debate. But I feel incredibly guilty when I break hens from brooding simply because I don't want chicks. It's something the bird feels she must do, and as long as she is a good mama, then there isn't a (at least for me) very valid reason to deny her that. So, even when I really don't think I need more chicks, if I find a hen is brooding, I leave her be and just figure she knows what she's doing. They were really good about this when I lost birds to a pair of raccoons, and had the most broodies (most did two batches and I think I had over a dozen individual girls nest) I've ever had.
But that means I have boys upon boys upon boys.
Most are unremarkable. But I think we all know some (especially the ones not preferred for breeding projects) just Weasel their way into your heart. Those were typically the ones I would fight tooth and nail for months, if not a year to rehome somewhere they would be appreciated and allowed to live. I still remember most of them, and I do still miss them.
Rehoming isn't an option anymore for me. Which means those little weasels that I love so much don't have that second chance.
So I have decided that I'm going to keep a Bachelor flock. Not all will stay, but the weasels that behave will be staying to live hopefully long lives. I'll be posting the males that stay in here, and just... talking about my little buddies and my big feathered friends.
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