Oops... I may have gotten some chicks!

[Chrissy P]

I started with 7 chicks seven years ago. I still have 2 from that batch. A gold silkie roo named Buffy and a beautiful gold and gray Americauna named Dove who is Buffy's wife...... but, in general, I now have around 30, which includes 5 roosters (down from 7, the 2 roo raping crew had to go. they were tasty.)

I also have a pair of peafowl, 3 pekin ducks, and a big breasted bronze hen. I harvested the two BB toms. I will NEVER again buy a bird that is engineered to a point that they cannot breed, and whose weight kills it.

I have a little silkie hen hiding on a batch of eggs someplace. They should be about ready to hatch. She came out to eat the other day.

I plan to add three heritage breed turkeys this spring/summer. I'm not sure what kinds. There is a breeder not far from here who has Bourbon reds, royal palm, blue slate, and maybe more breeds than that.... I will see what he has.

 

[wolfinator]

Oh no, I did it too but with ducklings. Well, actually I was once again looking at the chicks, ducklings and whatever else babies Rural King had as they got a 16 box shipment in. As I was looking, I spotted a couple of ducklings in distress and my heart sank. They were soaked and being trampled. The one was a little better off as it was trying to fight through the rest for food but wasn't very successful. So I broke rules and picked it up, moved it to the feeder pushing others away. The other poor baby just laid there with its leg outstretched behind it. I picked it up to and held it under the heat lamp as it shivered. The employees hadn't even noticed as they were busy placing over a hundred new arrivals in bins. I finally got the attention of the one I've gotten to know and told her if I could get both struggling ducklings at a reduced price, I'd take both. She actually did 60% off both. Head directly home. We ran the heater full blast with the pair on my lap to keep them warmer and dry them off. It worked, they both started perking up and chirping. By the time we got home, both were dry. Since I hadn't planned on babies, I had to leave them in the house in front of a nice sunny window as I went to the coop to prepare a bin for them. I already am caring for an injured hen and pullet in my largest brooder bin. Finally got everything set up and its now downpouring - great no umbrella as it was sunny. Run up the hill, now drenched, get the ducklings which are very vocal now, grab an umbrella and head to coop. Nice, they drank some water and nibble a bite of food. I let them settle in under the heat lamp as I hooked up the baby monitor and did a final check on all the rest before heading up. Next morning the one was a bundle of energy, the other was limping but moving about some. I put the injured one over to the food, it nibble a little and drank a tiny bit. I was hopeful. I had a few errands to run and shortly after getting back, I went and checked on my little ones. the injured one had died and the other was curled up on it. I removed and buried him/her. I took an old wash rag, banding it into a semi-circle, placed it in with the duckling hoping it would think it wasn't alone but it chirped sadly throughout the night. Today we're getting it a couple mates, hopefully they still have the Runner or Swedish blue ducklings. I hope I can get females as I think the one is a male and I already have 4 drakes to 10 females.

Update:
Not one duck on my want list was available between 3 stores. So one store I deal with most ended up giving me 4 weak chicks. I lost 2 before I got home and within 2 hours the others, sadly I wasn't able to save any. The same location had gotten a shipment of light Brahmas that many had pasty butt. They were heavily discounting them because they didn't have the time and extra hands to clean 20-30 chicks. I was actually on the phone letting them know that none made it when they told me of the sick chicks they got in. I told them to put the worst ones aside and I would be there in 30 minutes. They are the 3 with the little Rouen duckling. They are seemingly healthy and happy now. No more pasty butt and the duckling has 3 roommates to snuggle with.

 

[K0k0shka]

I'm just enjoying ogling everybody else's chicks in these posts They are so cute! I can't bring myself to get chicks from a store though. Not after reading about the conditions they live in and the potential problems they come with. Plus, hatching is half the fun! I hatched a bunch last spring and kept 5 females. I'm hatching again this spring and going to keep 2 females to add to my 5, and then I think that will be it. These chickens are mostly pets to me, and as such, I want to be able to give them individual attention, get to know them, and spend time with them so we can bond. Before I culled the males last summer, I had 11, and I found that that was too many. There's only one of me, and I only have so much free time I can spend on them (I work full time). So I'd rather have a small pet flock but know each one of them and be able to give them time and attention, than have a lot and treat them as a mass. Even the 2 I'm planning on adding this spring are stretching my personal limits and weren't entirely planned, but my absolute favorite from last year's brood died suddenly, so I'm hatching more from this particular breed in his memory (he was my only one of that breed). The kids really loved that chicken so we want him to live on, symbolically, through his siblings.

I did, however, figure out how to enjoy a new batch of cute little chicks every spring without drowning in chicken math though! The chickens I culled last summer were so delicious that we decided to hatch a new batch every spring, raise them until end of summer and then eat them. So, the flock size will vary, but the permanent flock will still only be 7 chickens for most of the year. Best of both worlds!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Honestly, I had a mental battle with myself in the feed store when I got the 6 EE. I walked in, decided not to get them, got my feed, walked back by the chicks, started thinking well... maybe? Then of course I found myself asking for them (they were the last 6 or I would have gotten 3-4) LOL!

Ya sure you would have

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I did the same thing at my local Tractor Supply today. Went to go pick up their feed, and lo and behold, 'Chick Dayz' have begun. Checked out their new set-up... professional stacked brooders where you can see the chicks up close and personal, with heat plates above them, rather than the horse troughs with the red heat lamps inside a dog pen inside the store. I LIKE the new set-up! However, they only had Golden Comets (aka Red Star Links, ISA Browns, Cinnamon Queen, et al) and White Leghorn pullets. I'm going, nope... already got enough ISA Browns in my flock (pullets almost to laying age... another week or two and they will be), and my personal experience with the leghorn breeds has given me enough to know I DON'T want leghorns in my flock again. So, I walked away from the chicks today. So proud of myself. However... I'm testing the fertility of my Barred Rock roo with my Black Sex Links and Barred Rock hens, so have eggs in the incubator, with Silkie eggs on the way, plus now, Toulouse geese hatching eggs. I'm in BIG trouble, as I have 21 pullets almost ready to lay, 2 that are 4 weeks behind them in age, 5 egg-layer hens, 4 meat hens (Freedom Rangers) that have become dual purpose... they lay HUGE brown eggs, regularly, every day... such sweet, docile birds that I hate to have to cull them, but if the time comes, I will. So, yea, chicken math IS real!

I did the same thing last week, stood in tractor supply have a 5 minute convo with myself about the baby chicks, finally said no ma'am and walked out

 

[ajackalope]

I started with 6 about 7 years ago. We went up to 22, thank God we have the room. Now we're down to 15 and I plan on getting more around memorial day weekend. The "plan" is for 6 but I'm afraid that's going to go right out the window.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I started with 6 about 7 years ago. We went up to 22, thank God we have the room. Now we're down to 15 and I plan on getting more around memorial day weekend. The "plan" is for 6 but I'm afraid that's going to go right out the window.

It always does!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Yes, we started with 5, and have been getting more each year. We would have 17 chickens if 4 had at been lost too predators.
But we have 13 chickens now. Chicken math is real!

 

[Coop de Grille]

I have ten that vary in age from 1 to 7. Yesterday I bought 10 chicks, today I bought 10 more and tomorrow I'm going back for 10 more. TSC has new chicks of different breeds each day lol.

 

[Newyorkrita]

I have ten that vary in age from 1 to 7. Yesterday I bought 10 chicks, today I bought 10 more and tomorrow I'm going back for 10 more. TSC has new chicks of different breeds each day lol.

Good plan!!!