Chicken Addiction

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 1:46 am

There's been a question on my mind for a couple of weeks now, ever since I hatched "just three more" goslings, and 16 chicks to go with them (because the incubator looked so empty with just the goose eggs) :wink: . The question has taken on a little more serious tone as I've just acquired three more roosters I really didn't need. Well I do, but I don't...it could have waited until I processed the dozens of extra male chickens, geese, Muscovies and turkeys I'm almost officially out of room in the main floor of the barn. I can fit the roosters once they're out of quarantine, and the geese when they're hardy enough for winter cold...but unless I get around to freezer in some extras, the chicks are going to literally have to be shoehorned in there. Or go to the loft, and it's not safe up there. Raccoons check it out weekly. I COULD predator proof it fairly easily...but if I have time for that, I have time for a kill day. So the burning question is : When does collecting become hoarding? When does Poultry Fancier become Crazy Chicken Lady? Before I had a whole barn to fill, I drew a line at chore time. If it took longer than an hour to feed, water, clean anything urgent and have a check over and a chat; it was too long and I made time to downsize or figured a way to streamline. Then we added more birds. Then pigs, goats and cattle. And more birds. In the last 6 years I've gone from about 25 birds (not including the meaties) to now where I'd guess the number of feathered friends to be somewhere around 200. Chores now take me about an hour and 45 minutes for evening, longer if anything's amiss...and with 18 pigs, 12 cattle, 3 goats and a hundred year old fence? Well, there's usually something amiss lol. So. As the line that must be drawn has seemingly become fluid and dynamic, I'm not sure if I know when and where to draw it anymore. Too many variables for my little brain. There's the financial aspect (more animals = more feed money) but since we've sourced reasonably local grown grains in bulk, it's costing us the same to feed 300 animals this year as 150 last year. There's the mess: from cleaning out coops twice or three times a year, to shovelling tonnes of manure weekly...but with lots of large animals in a barn, that's a given in any case. It needs to be done again, and pray the gutter doesn't freeze or the

is there until Spring and clean out has to be by wheelbarrow load. But anyway, I'm not sure what the heck I'm doing, planning new breeding projects, getting more birds that have to now share space with wet messy ducks 'Cuz the ducks lost THEIR space to the cows,'cuz the cow shelter went to extra pigs, 'cuz two of the pig stalls went to the goats even though they're running loose anyway!) How can I draw a line when the parameters and perimeters keep changing and I'm not sick of it all yet lol? So, how do you people, curb your enthusiasm? Reign in insanity? Tell when enough is too much?

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 2:52 am

When it becomes a chore or the animals are suffering because of lack of space, then I say it's too much. Then first off go the extra roosters, then any chickens with visible flaws.

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 3:55 am

I agree, and that has always helped in the past. But this year I maybe might have sort of hatched way too many between 12 broodies I let do their thing just in July alone (everyone was crazy broody this year! ) and the lure of a borrowed incubator. I got excess of boys vs. girls from March to June, quit hatching in July due to high humidity, started back hatching and now have girls coming out my eyeballs, almost literally. I never expected that, I thought it was going to be a solid cockerel year. So I've got 100 grow-outs, mostly female, that are too young to assess. I cannot sell any, and even if I could, I'd regret it one way or the other. And even if they were old enough to judge and sort, I have trouble culling egg layers. I cannot sell because a few years back I had coryza in a layer coop and I don't know if I still have carriers. My flock is closed and doesn't leave my property unless recently acquired and never left quarantine to begin with.
I feel a bit stuck, like I have too many birds, but can't do anything about it until I can tell who is what and where. Just looking at the numbers leaves me wondering how I got here and whether or not I should BE here lol. I mean, I have my heart flock, my Giants, which is a grand total of 9 breeders and a couple of lawn ornaments. OK, 5 or 6 lawn ornaments. Richard has his geese, 17 in total, and the remainder are just for fun. Breeding projects, eggs meat and eye candy. I guess I'm worried that I'm having too much fun, because it seems every time I do, something goes wrong. Some random thing comes along and sets me back 2 years or more. April with 8 foot high snow banks funneling a freak major rainstorm right into a coop? Coryza and cull half my layers, ILT kill or cull half my Giants...I am actually culling harder than ever before, keeping greater physical separation and emotional distance than ever before, but still I love them and want ways to deal WITH them. Addiction is like that :-\

Post by **Killerbunny** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 5:45 am

Has Richard managed to slaughter any pigs yet LOL!!!!!!!!

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:50 am

I read both your posts. Sounds like everything is as it should be, I don't see where there is a problem. Only thing I might do is lose the incubator, but everything else is just right, my way of thinking.

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 7:45 am

Killerbunny wrote:QR_BBPOST Has Richard managed to slaughter any pigs yet LOL!!!!!!!!

Erm, no. Since we started with pigs, we've killed a grand total of one, about a year ago...a boar that came with the place when we moved here, and was only killed because he injured himself. And turned out half full of boar taint, so his parents and siblings also have it, but they're still here too, except for a sow that went weird and died suddenly. But we have her last son, Hamlet, who is apparently a beloved pet and will be castrated AAANNYYY day now... *double face palm*

goatgal35 · Post by **goatgal35** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:39 am

In my opinion, if you are giving it this much thought, you already know it might be a bit much. I'm not judging you, I'm right there with ya. What's one or a dozen more when you're already feeding hundreds :) The lovely man I have who has been delivering my hay and feed for years, recently passed away unexpectedly. I have been paying $ 40 for 4x5 of first cut, $2.50 for small squares of second cut, $10 for 40 kgs. of whole and cracked grains and $15 for 40 kgs. of his homemade layer, sweetfeed, and rabbit feed delivered.
Well now I am paying $ 90 for big squares and feed store prices for grain and I have to go get it. What a wake up call this has been.
I already knew I had a problem, but this has helped me face it. There seems to be a very fine line between, food security/self sustainability and I just love critters so I want them :) The three hours it takes to feed a hundred rabbits and 300 to 500 birds, depending on what time of year it is, 4 horses, 2 ponys, 3 cattle beasts, 4 hogs, a dozen goats and sheep, a llama, cats, dogs, fish, grandkids, and a hubby wasn't enough, but the thought that I may not ben able to provide for them properly at some point this winter is terrifying. I am sure I will find a source of hay for the year and everything will be fine, but maybe, just maybe I'll cut back to 50 rabbits and 200 birds next year, if you don't count the new babies that will be happening.
If you love them you'll always provide properly and in the end that's what counts. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:47 am

So here's my way of thinking...
If you are questioning whether or not you have a problem then you probably don't...YET.
It's when you are living in oblivion and everyone around you starts tip-toeing around what they perceive as an issue that you need to pull your head out of the sand and start some serious review.
If you still enjoy it and it's not causing you to not pay your bills or stress out...you're good!
Of course this is coming from someone with a grand total of 13 chickens that dreams of having a set-up like yours so you may need to take that with a grain of salt

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:30 am

kenya wrote:QR_BBPOST When it becomes a chore or the animals are suffering because of lack of space, then I say it's too much. Then first off go the extra roosters, then any chickens with visible flaws.

There has got to be room in your life for other things, if for no other reason but to appreciate what you have.
If it's work and mucking out interspersed with occasional counting chickens that haven't or shouldn't have hatched, you will burn out, it's just a question of time.
I go thru annual trauma of how many to hatch and summer seems to be the time when it seems like I have too many, and looking in the freezer in January, seems like it wasn't enough.
But personally I find looking at 60 young birds paralyzes me in the decision making department. I have dealt with it by starting to "harvest" cockerels at 4-6 weeks straight to the BBQ, when the crowd thinness out, it all starts to make more sense.

G Williams · Post by **G Williams** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:24 am

I have 34 birds in 7 pens for the winter. 3 breeds all pure strains. I can easily tend to them in an hour if need be. In the summer with my pasture pens in operation I keep 50 birds. It takes longer to service the breeding pens, grow out pens, brooding pens etc.; up to 2 hours a day.
Like OC I start culling cockerels early. I also sell some birds at young ages. The amount of time it takes is my indicator that I have enough.
There are some other breeds I would like but, I couldn't do justice to my hobby in the time that I have allotted.