My Chickens Are Gone

[so lucky]

After a lot of thought and head scratching, I decided it is best for me to get rid of the chickens for a while. DH and I want to do some traveling, and I am probably going to have surgery that will keep me from being able to go down stairs for several days. The neighbor kids who took care of them for me before moved away, so there was no one I felt right about asking.
So I gave them to a woman who recently had 3 of hers stolen. She is happy; I am happy. Gonna miss a couple of them, and the fresh eggs, but I had to make a move in a different direction.

 

[Smart Red]

We do what must be done. Hopefully you can get a few chickens once again some day in the future -- if that is what you want.

 

[PennyJo]

I think about when I am not able to care for them anymore I do hope hope I am able to tell when it is time

 

[buckabucka]

I love having chickens, but I can imagine wanting to travel more, especially after I retire. You can always get some fresh eggs at the farmer's market.
And if you start to really miss having chickens, they are certainly easy to come by!

 

[so lucky]

I kind of miss them already, but I don't think I will miss having to get out at 7am during a snowstorm to dig the chicken yard door free.

 

[Beekissed]

Could be you could still get fresh eggs from the lady who now has your flock...would be like you still have chickens but without all the negatives.

My sister and her husband are doing that very same thing now that he is retiring. I stand to inherit a flock of 26 hens, most of which are older and will end up as winter meat, but half a dozen are young BAs that will remain as layers in my own flock. She lives clear across the state, so I can't give her eggs she'll be missing but I wish I could.

Those chickens are a pure blessing from God after the season I've had, so I am most grateful for them.

 

[digitS']

I guess I did something that I've never done before, although when I was a little kid, I moved with my family multiple times while carrying a banty that my grandmother gave me. I named her with my grandmother's nickname .

No, I kept my last backyard flock until the final one died of old age! Shoot. A chicken makes an okay pet ... I guess. Only that last one completely shut down in the egg department during the final year or two. Pretty ridiculous as a way to save money or, even, to have a supply of fresh eggs.

I was much more pragmatic with previous flocks. It was almost as if they carried tags around from hatching on: One Molt.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Bee, she lives too far away to make it worthwhile to try to get eggs from her.
There is a lady who comes to my exercise class that I may tap. I used to buy from her years ago.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't go by age, but laying ability. As long as they are still laying well during laying seasons and are healthy, they get to stay. If not, they are canned into soup meat. If a trusted old broody who still lays her best in peak season, she stays...the minute she stops laying, she's done here.

Not so much because she's not earning her keep but because the likely outcome will be her suffering and dying from reproductive issues as her old system tries to perform its previous job. I just take that suffering part out of the equation and kill her for meat while she's still feeling good and healthy.

It's all profitable if you manage the flock well, as they produce in chicks and meat, not just in eggs~plus the huge contribution of fertilizer for the garden and pest bug control.

 

[so lucky]

And entertainment.