Poor Planning...my advice to you new to chickens...

[chickensRheaven]

Okay. As you ALL know this is an extremely addicting love...chickens...I started out with 7 and now am up to 20. Where does the poor planning come in? Ahh...built the coop too small the first time...added more to my flock and another coop ...that was too small...for the addition to the flock yet again...So long story short PLAN to get more and make the largest coop you can in order to fit all future chooks...
I just expanded our first coop (yesterday) and made it bigger (with DH help)...as big as we could and I sit and wonder "Could I fit more chickens in there???" Man what an obsession!

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
yup-I started with 4 birds...little coop...then hatched 45+ built another enclosed coop with run... was great until they got to be 4 month old then I took over 1/2 the garage for the winter...good thing my bator is fritzing out on me or else Id be thinking of another place to stick even more!!!

 

[chickensRheaven]

I told my mother that I wanted more...she said I was crazy. I don't think that anyone "gets" how much I adore my chickens...chickens in general...
If I had an incubator...whoa...that could be interesting....more chickens....

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
yeah well let me be the first to tell you with and incubator in hand you can take on the world! mau auauauaua....Its bad I hatched 7 clutches in a row and was "made" to stop...Its been 3 months since Ive incubated and the urges are getting stronger everyday to fix the darn malfunctioning thing!!!

 

[pixie74943]

I just finished expanding my run so that I wouldn't have to worry about my ISA getting picked on.. and now I'm looking at it going 'Hmmm.. enough room for another couple of chickens in there"...

Lol, its an evil cycle and you cant escape it!

 

[chickensRheaven]

I just got in from my morning chores and took the tape measure with me...Wanted to see exactly how many more I'd be able to fit....Room for 3 more I think...

 

[gsim]

I started with 24 because that is how the hatchery in Ohio shipped them. Fewer birds cost more. Silly me, I just went ahead with 24. I am the only one on this forum that needs to reduce his flock. Am looking to get to where I have maybe 16 . I have the space for them with an 8x16 coop and 2,000 sq ft run, but do not need so many to be feeding and caring for. They are a really good happy well adjusted lot, with no bullying or fighting or health issues. They are laying regularly too at 6 months age, having only had a month-long molt in Sept. They always gather around either of us like little children when we go to visit. Sometimes we each take a camper chair and indulge ourselves in some 'chicken TV'.

Tkhey always crowd around us and several take turns jumping into our laps and onto arms of our chairs or our shoulders.

 

[chickensRheaven]

Who knew chickens were so entertaining!? I spend more time watching chicken tv than real tv some days!

 

[Sc00ter4900]

Hello I have been thinking about this a lot be cause I want more. I have 3 RI reds and 3 Plymouth rocks. I just started getting eggs 2 to 3 a day. Thats good for me but im a family of 4 to 6 people.how many birds are too many? Im goimg to build an 8x16. my coop now is 7x7 the rum is 13 x20. I my ladies just for eggs What do people do with too many eggs? I want more birds because it enjoyable for me. Just afraid of not knowing what too many is? Its hard too explain but im sure some here might understand the feeling.

Thanks Scotty

 

[chickensRheaven]

I sell my extras. I have a friend who pays me monthly to keep her in eggs. I sell to my son's daycare because I like being able to provide the healthy eggs for the kids there (son included) too. We have four in our family and enjoy giant breakfasts as a family often at supper

that is when we go through the most eggs. Or around the holidays it is really nice to have the option to walk outside and get an egg for all the Christmas goodies I'll be making. I have 20 chickens - 12 of which are of laying age. I average 7 per day. I can't figure if some aren't laying or...laying somewhere else...That is a pet peeve currently. Why aren't they depositing their payment into those boxes?