Chicken math isn't supposed to work this way!!!!!

[ninnymary]

Oh my goodness 12 chicks! I hope you can sell them quickly if that's what you want. I know you'll figure something out, good luck.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

Yes, I should have taken pics today. Mom will let me get close, but the babies are not sure about me yet. I put Mom in a pen with the chicks' food and water. The chicks are going in and out through the fencing, but Mom's stuck inside. Now that they all seem to have learned about the water and food containers, I should be able to let mom out and keep the food out of the reach of the other chickens.

Thought just occurred to me that I probably killed the 13th chick last night in the dark when I moved the pen around. It was fluffy so it had been up and about, but might have been stuck under part of the pen wiring.

 

[catjac1975]

Okay, so I am a bad chicken momma. I have my chickens in two "coops". The larger flock is in the chicken coop with Nesco, Their rooster. The second, smaller flock is kept in the garden shed because Nesco's son, Thing 1 will fight to the death if they get together.

I usually let the smaller flock out early in the morning for a short time, then feed them inside and shut the coop. It's 16 X 24 so there is plenty of room for the 4 oldest hens and their rooster.

Then, once they are put away, I let the big flock outside for the rest of the day. Most of my time is spent with the big flock. That's where I get my eggs. The smaller flock is so good at hiding their eggs that the few eggs I get from the garden shed are scrambled and fed to the chickens.

Well, tonight I went out to lock up the coop. There are three broody hens, but I've kept removing the eggs from all the nests. I don't need any more chickens! The feeder in the coop was low on food so I went into the garden shed to refill it. Imagine my shock when I spotted several small shadows running about! Didn't look like rodents. Didn't sound like rodents. OMG! I have chicks!

The light is out so I couldn't tell just how many there are, but I suspect more than three little shadows and one lighter figure peeping and running to hide under momma. Sheesh! I figured the older hens weren't laying all that many eggs. I forgot that Thing 2 -- only three years old -- was also in the shed. I suspect she's the proud mother although I'm guessing that not all the eggs were hers.

All the feed and water is up off the ground to keep them clean. Quickly, and in the fading light, I had to get food down to the babies' level and get a water container they could easily reach. Tomorrow, I will put their feed and water in a smaller cage the chicks can get into to feed, but the bigger birds can't access. That will insure the babies don't have all their food taken by the others.

This is NOT what I had in mind. Just today Maverick asked if I would let one of the broody hens hatch some chicks. NO! I have more than enough chickens right now, and with a Spouse who won't eat at home, I am having eggs pile up everywhere until I end up gifting them to the Salvation Army center or feed them back to the birds.

Why doesn't there seem to be any substantial subtraction operation in chicken math?

I love to hatch chicks . I list all chicks on Craig's list and usually sell them. If they don't sell I add them to my flock. I have rare Lavender Orpingtons. I sell the chicks for $20 each. The hatcheries sell them for $40 each and more!

 

[canesisters]

Congrats on the new babies!!!!
I've got 15 in an incubator at a friend's house - but any of those that hatch will stay there. The only one even thinking about being broody at my place is my 'bloody brooder' and she's NEVER getting another batch of eggs.

 

[Nyboy]

Put them up on Craigslist. That way @Nyboy can buy them from you.

 

[Smart Red]

I am seriously considering listing them on Craig's List at $2.79 a dozen. That's what I've invested in their special feed. The price will go up if they don't find homes really quickly.

 

[Smart Red]

Smack me, someone, please!

I was in the chicken coop today doing some tending when I spotted a spotted hen sitting atop the bunny basket. That collected rabbit pellets. It was out of the way and I hadn't needed the compost, so I hadn't moved it yet this year.

Whatever was she doing sitting there with the rest of the girls outside eating their fill of muskmelon skins and bird seed? OMG! Was that peeping I heard in the corner of the coop? It certainly wasn't coming from my hen.

Wasn't much of a guess after that.

Once everyone was in bed for the night I took the bunny basket down. What hadn't been filled with bunny droppings was now filled with eggs -- not yet hatched, but it won't be long I'm sure.

I have the cage in the garden shed ready for Mom and babies when they arrive. The dirty dozen now are used to running in and out of the bars for food and water so their mom doesn't need to be inside to watch over them.

The scientist in Jurassic Park was right. Nature will find a way through chaos. Right now I'm thinking that advertising for anyone interested in Balut wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[ninnymary]

Oh my, I thought you were going to say that she had killed all of the first chicks! Whew...glad that didn't happen. $2.79 a dozen sounds super cheap. I wasn't sure it wasn't a typo. I'm sure you will find buyers for all of them.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

Sheesh! After crawling back into the corner and removing the bunny basket, I fear I may have disrupted the hatching process (not a bad thing). Even though I put Mom back on the nest, she wasn't there when I went out to lock up the coop for the night.

Such a disgusting place for a nest anyway. Oh, well, I'll find out today if any peeps made it out of the eggs.

While it wouldn't hurt my feelings not to have more chicks, I hate the idea that I caused their demise on purpose. It wasn't by intent. I doubt the chicks could have made it out of the waste basket anyway.

 

[Nyboy]

Thats some magical bunny poop