So much for THAT plan *sigh*

[TeamChaos]

I've got a year old flock of 16 chickens- 14 assorted hens and 2 good roos. I put in my order at the feedstore in January for more babies with the intent of raising them separately and keeping a few for myself and selling the rest when they are close to laying (5 dominiques, 5 cuckoo marans, 5 barnevelders, 5 welsummers). Those babies are now happy adolescents living in a big temporary coop on the farm. What I didn't count on was any of my girls going broody- and boy, did they. 28 babies hatched. I kept two mamas in a separate broody pen so that they could raise their babies and not co-mingle with my grown ups.

I felt like it was all managed because I was keeping each group separate. Shouldn't be any concerns in selling/trading my extras, right?
The broody mamas thwarted that plan and started sending their babies through the fences to play in the paddock, then sqawk and flap to be let out with their little ones. I caved, let them have a preschool group. So now all the "Almosta chickens" (named after the farm) are hanging out with the primary flock.

Yesterday, I returned to the barn to find a bunch of my adolescent chickens hanging out, scratching around. I went to their pen and realized there was a sneaky flap in the fencing that they're all using to get in and out. My sister had *thought* she saw welsummer roosters on the hill with some of my old ladies and I said "naaaa". Turns out the jr. flock has been mixing and mingling with the old ladies and the new babies. By the end of the day yesterday, it was just a giant wave of chickens at snack time. Surprisingly, no fighting and no problems and everyone went to the appropriate coop.

I cannot possibly keep this many chickens. Even dispatching the roosters, unless the new ones are 90% dudes, I'll have too many. I am not NPIP certified. What are my options? Argh!

 

[3goodeggs]

chicken and rice, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie...

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

As long as no fighting, I don't see the issues with the flocks mingling, since they are not being quarantined or anything. Not sure why you have an issue, but I have not had enough coffee today, either, so I may be missing the point.

Freezer camp. Or list what you want to sell on craigslist. What you don't sell that way, take to an auction.




ETA .........chicken kiev, chicken enchiladas, chicken casserole...........

 

[featherz]

I used to try and keep my three little flocks separate, but now they all mingle (keeping a bit of distance) and no problems so far. Not sure why there's a problem unless you were trying to quarantine, but as all my chickens were born here, no need to quarantine. I hear the occasional squabble and I do have to boot my big roo out of my growout pen now and then but as long as he's not attempting to hop on the babies (he has enough ladies of his own) all so far is well and they go back to the right coop at night.

If you don't eat your chickens (as I don't), just put em up on CL or take them to auction. girls are EASY to rehome - boys less so, but if you have girls also rehome them in groups or pairs.

 

[Judy]

Nothing wrong with eating females too.

 

[MareeZoCool]

How about running an ad in your local news paper? set the price for $5 a bird, you'll be out of birds the first day.

 

[HEChicken]

I guess I also don't really understand what the issue is. Since you got the adolescents in January planning to sell them at point-of-lay I don't see any reason you can't still do that. Of the 28 you hatched, you can also raise the pullets to point of lay and sell them, and eat the roos, or keep as many as you want and sell the rest....

 

[TeamChaos]

Ha ha, upon rereading, I wasn't very clear. I was hoping to keep all batches separate because I'm not NPIP certified or anything of the sort. I haven't had much experience buying/selling chickens but it seems like chickens who are from an uncertified flock are pretty hard to get rid of outside of giving them away. I hope I'm wrong. The situation also made me shake my head because everything seemed so managable on paper but I forgot to factor in "chickens being chickens" D'oh! I haven't had any major disease outbreaks in my primary flock, but I did have a rooster with eye bubbles last year (still alive and healthy) and right now I've got a girl with a mystery abscess...

 

[Sassafras]

In my area pullets over 4 weeks sell like hotcakes, certified or not. At least they all get along!