Too Many Chicks

[Knittycat]

I have 8 chicks. Two are roosters, so when they start crowing I'm sending one to freezer camp. That leaves 7 chickens. My coop is 4x4 and my run is 8x4. I bought 8 chickens on the idea that some would die, and some would be roosters, but they are all happy and healthy and hens. Not that I *want* any to die, but it seems like everybody tends to lose a chick or two before they're grown, so I was planning ahead.
NOW WHAT? I can't spend any more on a new coop. Hell, most of my materials were scrounged anyway.

 

[TinyLittleFarm]

So you want to keep one roo, and then you have room for 3 hens, right? That leaves you with 3 extra hens. (Gosh I sound like a kindergarten teacher!

)

Can you sell them or give them away? Craigslist is usually full of chickens this time of year. Look and see what people are charging for birds your age and then list them. I'll bet you'll find good homes for them.

 

[kera!]

you wont have any trouble getting rid of the hens on craigslist and I know 4 ft per chicken but if they are going to free range a good bit I think you can do with al little less room so in 16 sw feet you could do 5 maybe...keep your fave and post the rest..good luck

 

[EELover]

I agree with TinyLittleFarm. People want hens. Put them on CL and they will go fast. Next time I wouldn't bank on any dying. I have had 2 flocks (one was eaten

) and they all ended up being healthy to maturity. I wish when I bought mine that I was that lucky. I ended up with 9 roos and 8 hens. Roos are tasty so its all good.

 

[Judy]

They don't really need an enclosed coop in Texas, and they don't need 4 sq ft inside, if you open up one end so they have room to get out of weather but also always have access to the outdoors. You could open up the east side onto a run. Here is a thread about hot weather coops to give you some ideas. You can probably alter what you have with few materials and keep your chickens.

If it were me I'd keep both roosters at least until they were crowing so I'd know which had the better personality.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=163417&p=1

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
This would have been my suggestion too. Would you really need to keep them indoors at night? Or could you just leave the pop hole door open so they can go out as often and as early as they want? I'm in NY and you can't leave them out at night here but in TX is it warm enough?

DD and hers live in Houston and they don't seem to get the night temps we do here.

 

[Knittycat]

Quote:
Yanno, I was *just* thinking about that. I've got a lot of PVC lying around, so if I really wanted to keep them penned in I could do a hoop style run.
My biggest worry with free ranging them is that in the 40's it was home to Bay City Glass, and has 50ish years of broken auto glass all over the place. I've got up as much as I can but I'm worried my chickens would eat up the sparkilies and die.

 

[Judy]

Wow, that's a unique problem. I guess you won't know til you try. I would guess they will leave it alone -- but what do I know? I've never read a post of a glass breaking and the chickens grabbing the bits before it could be cleaned up, though.

 

[Knittycat]

I posted the glass question in managing your flock. Hopefully I'll get to keep my birds!