Passing up free chickens - boo!

[fmernyer]

So I guess I'm just lamenting out loud or getting confirmation that I'm doing the right thing.

A neighbor is always telling me about her mom's chickens and how they're always getting eaten by something or other. She's down to 4 and is tired of watching them get picked off and wants to give them away. She offered them to me, first.

I already have 6 chickens - not quite a year old yet. Their coop is 7x4 so its just barely big enough for them, technically. It sure seems like its a large enough coop when the 6 of them are milling about in there - and especially, of course, when they're on the roost. But I guess FOUR more would be out of control.

Too bad she didn't offer me one or two. Although I couldn't ask for one - split them up - and then have mine beat up the new gal.

*sigh* Passing up more cute fuzzy chickens and eggs! *sigh*

 

[HEChicken]

Do you have enough run space for them? Personally, I think if you have enough space for them to spread out in the run, you can get away with slightly too little coop space, since all they are doing in there is sleeping anyway. And, with winter coming on, I always feel that the more birds there are to share warmth, the better they will fare.

I'm not helping, am I?

I would probably take them - especially if I felt it made the difference between them being safe and being picked off one by one.

 

[fmernyer]

lol - no you're not. But that's okay

. I don't have a run (yet) but I let them free range while I'm home....which is almost all the time. I worry about them jumping the fence into the neighbor's yard so I try to keep an eye on them. Once a week or less they might be cooped up for half a day....

 

[donrae]

Good for you for passing!
Cause you just know you'd be on here........help my chickens are pecking each other/one can't eat cause the others bully her/they're not laying/they're getting mites or worms or whatever else overcrowded birds are more susceptible to.

It's hard to be responsible. I understand that. But just watch any bit of animal horders and think..........I'm not that person.

 

[fmernyer]

YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU'RE RIGHT! SOoooooooo tempting! Right now since I don't have a run and they free range somewhat safely - I feel like if I have to leave them cooped up for part of a day its not SO big a deal because they have the space. If I got more (four more - more than half more!) it changes the whole way I have to take care of them. *sigh* But thank you!