HOW many of WHAT are you going to >>>>>

[windwalkingwolf]

There you go Jan, leave it to ross to bring something really helpful to the table. I mean coop.
I don't know how you manage keeping so many males without somebody coming to harm.
I am keeping my eye on the 3 cockerels housed together and yesterday I caught them clicking their beaks at each other around the feeder. No idea what they meant by it, hoping it was just a civilized conversation rather then rude insults.
Lucky two got turfed out of his harem yesterday, 2 girls were showing way too much wear for my comfort.

They actually get along fine, the only problem is if they can hear the hens, the roosters on the bottom of the pecking order will show, um, rooster wear. there's always a bit of a scuffle when someone new goes in, but order is usually established within a couple days. They have hidey holes for the bottoms to get away from the more, erm, amorous fellows, and 6 separate feeding stations. A mature boy 3-4 years old often seems to fill the role of "police rooster' and will break up fights and attempted matings.
Occasionally someone takes a peck to the eye when they get too big for their britches...that's how I knew old Owl had lost status/ability to keep order and had to come out of there. His eye is intact but his pupil is damaged and he can't defend from that side anymore.
I actually take much more damage than they do...Often Big Blue will jump on the feed bucket and just about tear my arm out of socket if I don't brace myself. Just last night when I went in to feed and water, one launched himself from the top perch, aiming for my shoulder, and missed. I have a 3 inch welt on my cheek from his spur. A couple of them think any bare patch of my skin is sexy. and will draw blood in a short-lived attempt to make sure I brood their babies.

Robbie, I don't feel like I do much at all, certainly not much seems to get accomplished! And the little I actually DO, I have good help :) 24 year old son will share the morning chores if I ask him, and hubby shares the evening ones. The obsessing, though, is all mine LOL

[muffin57]

windwalkingwolf you are somewhat fortunate not to have your eye injured. I don't think I would be able to go back in the coop.

This will be our first year for breeding Partridge Chantecler chickens and Welsh Harlequin ducks. The Chantecler's just started laying in the fall, then stopped. Looking forward to the duck and chicken eggs when the days get longer. I have never eaten duck eggs before. Hoping to get some birds for the freezer in the fall. I hope we can do it. My husband says to quit naming them. Also hoping to purchase some fertilized Cayuga duck eggs from this site in the spring and maybe some fertilized Welsh Harlequin eggs.

[kenya]

OC I usually hatch out more but sell most, these I will keep till old enough to evaluate keepers. I don't want to hatch out too many as I find it becomes too much of a chore and less fun.

[Ontario Chick]

OC I usually hatch out more but sell most, these I will keep till old enough to evaluate keepers. I don't want to hatch out too many as I find it becomes too much of a chore and less fun.

Oh yes, chore versus fun, it's a fine balance and I think I am at that crossroad, 2 batches of 30 chicks = fun, any more then that a chore. :)
Probably because I have 2 brooders in the barn and 2 "safe" access to outside for the growing out chicks.
Any more then that and I have to start shuffling things around, definite chore, appreciated by no one.

[Ontario Chick]

Things are heating up in the Hatchery Thread, I think it's a bit like a seed catalogue, if you are standing in the garden in July, you may not be needing too many new plants.
If you are perusing a seed catalogue in January, you may need all of it.
Standing in the barn in September (or mucking out in the spring) it may seem like way too many birds.
Looking at Performance Poultry Price list in January, all good intensions may have gone to pave the road......

[Robbie]

Too true OC when you're looking at catalogues it's like some kind of crazed demon takes over, that keeps adding stuff to the cart.........

[windwalkingwolf]

Yep, the analogy is accurate! But, but, I NEED that purple-spotted yellow bean! NEED!!! LOL