Chicken Addiction

Shnookie · Post by **Shnookie** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 12:41 pm

When deciding how many animals to keep I always consider the cost (which has gone up a lot in the last few years), am I keeping them in the way I want to (healthy, happy and safe), and what would happen to them if I was unable to care for them due to illness or injury (who would care for them, how hard would it be for someone to rehome them). In my head I can never have too many animals, but realistically, I try not to let that happen.

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 2:21 pm

I think if it's not a chore you are fine but the fact that you are questioning yourself is a wake up call that you are getting close.

TomK · Post by **TomK** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 2:55 pm

But not too close..lol..there are roosters out there on that big bad world that need rehoming... :running-chicken:

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 3:00 pm

windwalkingwolf wrote:QR_BBPOST .....So the burning question is : When does collecting become hoarding? When does Poultry Fancier become Crazy Chicken Lady? .....

hm....in my case the answer is "before".
um. yeah.

so. once it is too much work and i can't keep up. i'm a bad example though, because right now my hubby is helping a LOT, so it will be when he is sick of looking after them, because it's going to be a minimum 3 months before i can do anything.....like ANYTHING. so. i am still contemplating if i should just auction everyone and just have the horses, but hubby keeps saying "no" because i want you up and around after surgery. i don't doubt i'll be up and around, it's just the "out" part if there's snow on the ground....hopefully i'll be able to get to the barn to see everyone after a couple of weeks, as long as i am escorted. but if 3 months turns into 6 turns into 8 etc, they will all be going. horses too. because they're my hobby, not my hubby's. but everyone today was very positive that there won't be a wheelchair in my future, that i'll be up and walking within 48 hours of surgery, and it will all be good. so. as long as he is willing, and i don't turn on the incubators....it should hopefully be okay IF the waterers don't freeze.

Jan, i have been the "crazy chicken lady" at work now for about 6 years.....so it really doesn't take much....LOL. i only managed to build the barn 1.5 years ago (almost 2) so i don't think it takes much to get the label at all. ;-P

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 3:16 pm

Hmmm...infectious coryza...if I understand correctly your "flock" is a permanent carrier and the reading i've done says to "depopulate the farm and start over". It must be nasty stuff. It sounds to me that your barn is a "stressful environment" and with a high pop density you risk another bout of this disease and/or something else coming along.

The right thing is to "process" all carriers (chickens) and keep it empty for a while (one year?) then start again. As I understand you can still have waterfowl, pheasants and quail (turkeys?) during your "cleanse" period.

The downside of being a "farmer" is that sometimes you have to be ruthless. In your case you still have the greenhouse on a 2nd property so you can get your eggs and start a new flock there and depopulate at home during your "cleanse" year.

Easier said than done.

Post by **poultry_admin** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:05 pm

1) Sign up to

2) Dont get an email saying you haven't been online in the last 3 month

=

ADDICTED!

:chicken5:

Post by **Killerbunny** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 7:59 pm

I'm screwed!
Still have 17 turkeys which were going to be thinned but most are too darn nice. It will happen!
Chunky and Kibbles & bits stay because they're a special project. My egg layers stay and the 3 other boys do unless they get nasty. Ozzy worked on me from a couple of weeks old running over and being friendly and so far he's staying that way. Hubby likes them all, no help there.
I'll help Jan by saying that , no, I won't have any incys for sale.

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 10:36 pm

And please don't think me as "holier than thou" as my Inventory is 4 geese (one for the freezer soon) 7 coturnix and 2 bobwhite quail (bob's are hens and I need a male); 12 bantams of two breeds; 8 chickens and ; 5 roos for freezer camp; and two chicks in the basement. Not to mention too many "purchase" plans for next year. I too suffer from addiction and buy more in irrational ways but I do sell them and process them. My housing/shed/coop needs work and if I ask the question: would I want to be one of my chickens the answer is no. I want to be one of OC's. Her housing is spot on and her "bird keeping" is a good example for me to follow. Tomorrow I am working on it.

I know what I should do but on a nice day; instead of working on the barn; i put the chainsaw on the tractor and head to the woods (avoidance behaviour) to cut wood I won't need until next year.

We're all in this together, so Keep your stick on the ice.

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:22 pm

I love you guys

Hmmm, trying to "inventory" the hens left that I had during the I.C. infection...Bertha, 13 years old, Frankie, 5 years old, Older Giants never got it but growouts did so everybody except Yellow and Lurch and the handful of last year's birds I still have...nope, not going to depopulate :) Trust me, I had that conversation with myself when it happened and again when the Giant coop got ILT...I decided to close my flock rather than start over, and don't sell birds unless they've never left quarantine, or the egg lol.
It's not that I find the work overwhelming, yet :wink: it's that I get a little panicky when I think of the number of birds I have. It will seem a lot better once I get the extras in the freezer :D Don't worry, @TomK, there's still room for one more!

ross · Post by **ross** » Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:50 pm

Jan , as long as your comfortable & mostly if the critters are comfortable, well fed & well looked after no reason to change . If one of the above gets out of wack then time to sort it out . Luck