Purpose of your flock?

[Amandarae1280]

Anyone else get chickens for other purposes?
My new babies are family pets and they are intended to be "employed" as ground clearers and fertilizers for my garden, to save me time especially over the winter. I have no intention of eating the eggs or eating my feather babies. Since I am using them for different purposes I should have no reason to have to cull? Right? I have 7 with potential for multiple roosters. I live in the country though. Are they short-lived??

Right now they live in my jacuzzi tub by day and my regular tub by night!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My chickens serve many purposes too. Bug patrol and yard art are their main jobs.

You still may need to cull at some point to put someone out of their misery. Most of mine die on their own time. On average they live 4-6 years with some living to 10 years and others going before 4.

You will want to only keep one rooster or none. They will mate constantly with your hens and make them bald and miserable. So either remove some roosters or add lots of hens. Generally 1 rooster to 6-15 hens is a good ratio based on the roosters temperament.

 

[BantyChooks]

My chickens serve many purposes too. Bug patrol and yard art are their main jobs.

You still may need to cull at some point to put someone out of their misery. Most of mine die on their own time. On average they live 4-6 years with some living to 10 years and others going before 4.

You will want to only keep one rooster or none. They will mate constantly with your hens and make them bald and miserable. So either remove some roosters or add lots of hens. Generally 1 rooster to 6-15 hens is a good ratio based on the roosters temperament.

I agree. Keeping all of your roosters in a flock that size will make the hens' lives miserable. You can sell them if you don't want to eat them. You also need to be prepared to put a bird out of its misery if there is a freak accident or they get very sick. Letting them suffer and die slowly because of your own feelings would be unfair to the bird. Apart from that, though, there's absolutely no shame in keeping them as pets, and I myself have several that will stay around for as long as they've got life left in them. I keep my birds for pets, eggs, meat, bug control, garden fertilizer, and showing. I breed them to the standard and really enjoy doing it. The pursuit of 'the perfect bird' is perhaps impossible, but a lot of fun.

Your flock is very cute, by the way. I hope everything works out for you.

 

[Percheron chick]

It's a shame to waste perfectly good eggs. If you have no intention of eating the eggs, have a plan and benefit from them. Sell them to coworkers and friends to help pay for their feed and upkeep or find a food bank that will accept them and donate.

 

[Amandarae1280]

It's a shame to waste perfectly good eggs. If you have no intention of eating the eggs, have a plan and benefit from them. Sell them to coworkers and friends to help pay for their feed and upkeep or find a food bank that will accept them and donate.

My in laws live next door and will be more than willing to take them. They won't be wasted!

 

[Amandarae1280]

I agree. Keeping all of your roosters in a flock that size will make the hens' lives miserable. You can sell them if you don't want to eat them. You also need to be prepared to put a bird out of its misery if there is a freak accident or they get very sick. Letting them suffer and die slowly because of your own feelings would be unfair to the bird. Apart from that, though, there's absolutely no shame in keeping them as pets, and I myself have several that will stay around for as long as they've got life left in them. I keep my birds for pets, eggs, meat, bug control, garden fertilizer, and showing. I breed them to the standard and really enjoy doing it. The pursuit of 'the perfect bird' is perhaps impossible, but a lot of fun.

Your flock is very cute, by the way. I hope everything works out for you.

Oh, yes I have no issue putting a sick animal down, I just meant a hen quitting laying wouldnt be a game changer as far as keeping her. My roosters won't be kept with my hens either. They are going to be free range instead! They can roost in all the pines lining my yard. I don't want more. I will be happy with the ones I have. They are getting so cute and a couple have started following me around the yard now when I take them out. So friggin adorable!

 

[BantyChooks]

Oh, yes I have no issue putting a sick animal down, I just meant a hen quitting laying wouldnt be a game changer as far as keeping her. My roosters won't be kept with my hens either. They are going to be free range instead! They can roost in all the pines lining my yard. I don't want more. I will be happy with the ones I have. They are getting so cute and a couple have started following me around the yard now when I take them out. So friggin adorable!

Perfect. I'm glad to hear that.

 

[oldrooster]

Some here will raise them as pets with the benefit of eating eggs (some don't, some also like to raise them as a breeding animal like some people raise certain breeds of dogs, cats and indoor birds of a specific breed and breed them to SOP.) others will raise them as a food source (eggs and or meat). Some will do it as a commercial enterprise. I always had them for eating both egg and meat.