Moving Away for College, Cutting Down on Flock

[FrankPrize]

I'm moving 500 miles away from home for undergrad but I'm entering my birds into the youth fair one final time and selling most of them right after. My parents were adamant about totally dispersing of my flock right after fair season/before I graduate but I have put too much time, effort, and money into them to just let them go easily. I somehow managed to convince my parents to let me keep a breeding pair but they're only letting me pick between a pair of Black/Lavender Ameraucanas or a pair of Black Breasted Red Phoenixes. All four-- for the most part-- are excellent examples of their respective breed standards and have plenty of show and breeding potential since I purchased them from breeders with excellent stock. The Ameraucanas are Blehm-lined and the Phoenixes are from Toni Rivers stock. I feel comfortable leaving either set with my parents since they love the birds and my dad has an advanced understanding of poultry husbandry (he's raised Old English Games for thirty years). My mom is the one pressuring me to get rid of the birds because she doesn't like the notion of a chicken pen in the yard--which is understandable in its own sense. I simply just cannot decide which to keep and this indecisiveness is getting to me because I have a major love and appreciation for both breeds.

 

[PirateGirl]

I'm sorry you are facing this difficult decision. If breeding is your longer-term goal, I would think about which line might be easier/harder to replace or find in the future. If one breed is considerably harder to find good breeding stock, that is the one I'd hold onto. If your birds are good examples of the breed, is it possible the breeder they came from would want them back in their breeding program? You would know they are going back to a good home then and their legacy will live on!

 

[centrarchid]

I had a similar issue when I went off to college. My younger brother stepped to carry line until I got out. In graduate school he gave me some of the late hatch birds to play with but I still lacked resources to keep more than a couple effectively as pets. Concentrate on getting degree and job for short term, then get back into chickens when you have the means.

 

[Mrs. K]

Good advice ^^, You must know other chicken people, give them to someone who you know will give them a good life. Time passes quickly and new opportunities appear.