Please stop me!!!

[woodmort]

One of the things I should never do is go into TSC when they have chicks but, unfortunately, I had to go in for grower today because the 6 production red chicks I bought there 3 weeks ago are about through their bag of starter. At any rate they have new chicks and, of course, I had to check them out. They had two breeds that I would kind of like--Brahma and Australorp pullets. (I really wanted Australorps back when I got the original 6 but all they had were straight-run.) Well I swallowed hard and argued with myself mostly due to the fact that putting couple of day-old chicks in with 3-week old ones probably wouldn't work too well (I have a Brinsea 50-chick brooder so heat wouldn't be a problem but size would.) Also I have an order for 2 dozen chicks coming from McMurray's in May to fill out my lost flock and 3 dozen plus birds would be a heck of a lot of work over the winter. I have to haul feed about 100 yds from driveway to coop using my Kubota which, while it is 4-wheel drive, has problems in deep snow. So I came home chickless. Phew

But , over lunch, I mention to the wife that I'd come close to picking up some more chicks. She looked at me and said "Well why didn't you?" Not I response I expected. The trouble is now I'm conflicted. Should I go back or shouldn't I?? Please help discourage me.

As an aside, I'm prohibited from going into the local SPCA since the last time I came home with a kitten.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Ahhhh do both then anytime I can save a life

 

[ChickNanny13]

Chicken Math at it's best May is right around the corner Most would agree with your wife but I overthink alot. My Hubby never stopped me from getting what I want but has helped me become more self disciplined Hence alot of talking to ones self. Also our feed store always runs out of chicks, so I make sure I go for feed the day before they pick up more. Good luck & let us know what you decide

 

[Chickassan]

Can't talk you out of it. You're already in too deep, so what's a few more going to hurt.

 

[Kris5902]

Wow! You went to the SPCA and came home with only one kitten? You don’t need any help with restraint! I ended up with several, I “intended” to get one to keep my older cat company and came back with 3 sibling kittens so no one would be lonely!

“You have more chicks coming... be patient, and I too would worry about the size/age difference in mixing those groups. Better to wait a bit for the ones you have already ordered. You wouldn’t want the bigguns to hurt the littles in the brooder, that would be awful and heartbreaking” there’s the discouragement for you!

But the devil on my shoulder has to add... “Unless of course you want to add another separate brooder for new babes? You could double your brooding capacity & have even MORE chickens!”

If you have the room and are willing to do all the winter chores that is... sometimes adulting sucks, but I don’t think you will actually take on more than you can deal with, or you wouldn’t have walked out without the chicks in the first place! I also have an enabling spouse so I feel your pain (“why did you go and say that?” Is how I ordered 3 dozen hatching eggs at 2 am.)

 

[woodmort]

Sheesh, a bunch of enablers. Maybe if I procrastinate long enough they'll be gone.

 

[woodmort]

Wow! You went to the SPCA and came home with only one kitten? You don’t need any help with restraint! I ended up with several, I “intended” to get one to keep my older cat company and came back with 3 sibling kittens so no one would be lonely!

But I my job was to just drop off some newspapers for cage use.

 

[woodmort]

TropicalBabies I've had Brahams before and, currently, have 3, 6-yr old Austrolopes hens that survived the slaughter but they are at the point where they are only laying an egg a week.

 

[woodmort]

Further explanation to my situation.

A year ago I had over 40 birds--4 guineas and 3 roosters included--but a fox got a couple over the summer, a family of coons figured out how to access my coop and before I eliminated them and their entry cost they me another 8 birds. Then between Thanksgiving and Christmas a weasel and mink got in and kill all but the guineas, roosters, 3 Austrolorps, a Silver Lace Wyandotte and a brown leghorn. Apparently the modus of operations was to catch the hens on the nest so all I lost were layers. The chicks I ordered(all pullets) are to replace the flock while the 6 TCS chicks were to give us some midsummer eggs until the rest got laying. So numbers-wise it isn't something I'm not used to. However, I also turned 80 last fall and, while I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in, not sure how long I want to keep doing this.

 

[pennyJo1960]

ahhhhhhh see my birds keep me going in older age