Agh...I'm struggling with self-control

[My Three Chicks]

I got my first 4 chickens in Spring 2021. I had no idea how much I would love being a chicken mom. So I'm hooked, addicted, in love, obsessed!

I lost 1 girl Dec 2022. Then added 3 baby chicks Spring 2023. So now I have 6 beloved girls running around all over my yard and life!

I live in Seattle and can only have 8 hens (no roosters).

I was thinking of getting 2 girls next Spring (2025). The thought was every 2 years I would add a couple of chicks as the older girls reproduction/egg laying decreases. (They will all retire and live out their natural life with me regardless!).

But I am just itching to get chicks THIS year! But then I'd have my max 8 chickens all under 3 years old. Seems like I should have flock with a larger age span? Plus am I going to just want to get more chicks again next year and the next (even though I'd be at my max and can't).

How do you all manage a small flock with tight allowable quantity by the city?

 

[fat brown hen]

do ducks count? what about turkeys?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I got my first 4 chickens in Spring 2021. I had no idea how much I would love being a chicken mom. So I'm hooked, addicted, in love, obsessed!

I lost 1 girl Dec 2022. Then added 3 baby chicks Spring 2023. So now I have 6 beloved girls running around all over my yard and life!

I live in Seattle and can only have 8 hens (no roosters).

I was thinking of getting 2 girls next Spring (2025). The thought was every 2 years I would add a couple of chicks as the older girls reproduction/egg laying decreases. (They will all retire and live out their natural life with me regardless!).

But I am just itching to get chicks THIS year! But then I'd have my max 8 chickens all under 3 years old. Seems like I should have flock with a larger age span? Plus am I going to just want to get more chicks again next year and the next (even though I'd be at my max and can't).

How do you all manage a small flock with tight allowable quantity by the city?

Yup, you've got it! A full-blown case of ... Chicken Math! Did nobody warn you about this? Tsk, tsk! We're all prone to it, to one extent or another. They're just so darn CUTE! And adorable! And ... oh, sorry.

Well, I'm not in a city and I have, right now, 18 adult hens and a lovely rooster, but I"m still limited, just as you are, but in my case it's by the size of my coop. Twenty-five is my absolute max. I wish my non-layers could live out their retirement years here forever, but ... it's just not practical. Some could live to be 8, 10, even 12 years old. If I keep them I will have no room for chicks, and without chicks I will soon have no layers, only aging lawn ornaments. And frankly, that's not acceptable to me. I can only tell you how my DH and I are handling this conundrum.

So. In our situation, Chicken Math has to include subtraction as well as addition (and multiplication, if we hatch!). Therefore, when our hens' production comes to an end or slows way down, typically at about age three ... we have them butchered and put them in the freezer. (We don't do this ourselves, we have a local lady who does it for $2/bird which we think is very reasonable.) At this age they are not fryers by any means nor even roasters. But they make marvelous soups, stews, dumplings or even broth. This works for us because they are not pets, and for the most part we do not name them (Dingbat and her sister Dipstick being notable exceptions).

We recently bought eleven pullet chicks. They are five weeks old. So you see, when they are ready to move out of the brooder snd into the coop, some of my OG are going to have to go. It's just a fact of chicken life.

There are alternatives. You might be lucky enough to find a sanctuary that accepts retired hens. Or rehome them to someone who wants them for bug control. Or move out of town where you can have all the chickens you want. You'd be surprised how many of us have done exactly that! Good luck, and enjoy your flock, whatever you decide.

,.

 

[TwoCrows]

Many municipalities don't consider quail as poultry, lots of members keep quail here on BYC where no chickens are even allowed. You might consider keeping Coturnix Quail too, fun little bird to keep!

 

[alinas2010]

I have the same issue here. I would love to have 100 if i could. Our city has a limit of 6 and no roosters, although I don’t think ANYONE follows the rules. We have multiple neighbors with up to probably 14 chickens. No one has ever had a problem and i think as long as they’re being cared for and have enough space, it shouldn’t matter. But with that being said, I can’t say I would personally ever push my luck because I would be devastated to have to get rid of any.

Ours are 100% pets and we went into it knowing we wouldn’t ever be able to butcher or eat them. Now after raising them up for almost 2 years, I believe even more that they should be able to live out their lives in peace with us. Their lives are short compared to ours, and they’re the ones who have endured the chilly nights (and days) while we’re in our warm house, been stuck cooped up in their coop all day if the snow or wind was too much for them, faced reproductive issues and other chicken related ailments and provided us with eggs to eat. In my mind, they have more than earned their stay in our family. They can retire from laying and keep each other company, provide us with entertainment and companionship, teach new chickens stuff and tend to the weeds and pests of our garden.

When I want some new chicks, I remind myself of everything these ladies have given me and tell myself I must be patient. I figure as they pass, we’ll just fill their spaces with chicks. I’m not worried if I have to buy eggs in the meantime.

 

[My Three Chicks]

I have the same issue here. I would love to have 100 if i could. Our city has a limit of 6 and no roosters, although I don’t think ANYONE follows the rules. We have multiple neighbors with up to probably 14 chickens. No one has ever had a problem and i think as long as they’re being cared for and have enough space, it shouldn’t matter. But with that being said, I can’t say I would personally ever push my luck because I would be devastated to have to get rid of any.

Ours are 100% pets and we went into it knowing we wouldn’t ever be able to butcher or eat them. Now after raising them up for almost 2 years, I believe even more that they should be able to live out their lives in peace with us. Their lives are short compared to ours, and they’re the ones who have endured the chilly nights (and days) while we’re in our warm house, been stuck cooped up in their coop all day if the snow or wind was too much for them, faced reproductive issues and other chicken related ailments and provided us with eggs to eat. In my mind, they have more than earned their stay in our family. They can retire from laying and keep each other company, provide us with entertainment and companionship, teach new chickens stuff and tend to the weeds and pests of our garden.

When I want some new chicks, I remind myself of everything these ladies have given me and tell myself I must be patient. I figure as they pass, we’ll just fill their spaces with chicks. I’m not worried if I have to buy eggs in the meantime.

Thank you for this. This is EXACTLY how I feel. Mine are pets and are loved and adored.
So I think I need to be patient like you said. I did build a coop and run big enough for 10 birds in case I decide to push the rules a bit. And they free range when I'm home (I go to the office 3 days a week. But even the days I go to work I come home at lunch and let the dog and birdies out for an hour!).
I still might add 2 this year to get to my max and then just be for a while. I'm ok if I need to buy eggs too. I had to last year since I didn't realize I'd get NO eggs for months!

 

[My Three Chicks]

Many municipalities don't consider quail as poultry, lots of members keep quail here on BYC where no chickens are even allowed. You might consider keeping Coturnix Quail too, fun little bird to keep!

do ducks count? what about turkeys?

Yes they count all fowl towards the 8 max.
Plus I haven't considered other species yet. I just love the chickens so much so concentrating on them for now!

 

[My Three Chicks]

Yup, you've got it! A full-blown case of ... Chicken Math! Did nobody warn you about this? Tsk, tsk! We're all prone to it, to one extent or another. They're just so darn CUTE! And adorable! And ... oh, sorry.

Well, I'm not in a city and I have, right now, 18 adult hens and a lovely rooster, but I"m still limited, just as you are, but in my case it's by the size of my coop. Twenty-five is my absolute max. I wish my non-layers could live out their retirement years here forever, but ... it's just not practical. Some could live to be 8, 10, even 12 years old. If I keep them I will have no room for chicks, and without chicks I will soon have no layers, only aging lawn ornaments. And frankly, that's not acceptable to me. I can only tell you how my DH and I are handling this conundrum.

So. In our situation, Chicken Math has to include subtraction as well as addition (and multiplication, if we hatch!). Therefore, when our hens' production comes to an end or slows way down, typically at about age three ... we have them butchered and put them in the freezer. (We don't do this ourselves, we have a local lady who does it for $2/bird which we think is very reasonable.) At this age they are not fryers by any means nor even roasters. But they make marvelous soups, stews, dumplings or even broth. This works for us because they are not pets, and for the most part we do not name them (Dingbat and her sister Dipstick being notable exceptions).

We recently bought eleven pullet chicks. They are five weeks old. So you see, when they are ready to move out of the brooder snd into the coop, some of my OG are going to have to go. It's just a fact of chicken life.

There are alternatives. You might be lucky enough to find a sanctuary that accepts retired hens. Or rehome them to someone who wants them for bug control. Or move out of town where you can have all the chickens you want. You'd be surprised how many of us have done exactly that! Good luck, and enjoy your flock, whatever you decide.

,.

Yeah unfortunately (or fortunately!) mine aren't going anywhere after retirement since they are pets here.
But I understand your approach I think that's what a lot (most?) people do to ensure constant egg production. For me, I'm single and a family of 1 (+ 1 pup + 6 chickens) so I don't require many eggs. In fact we give more away then we eat! I keep them because I enjoy them so much. And eggs are a big bonus.

 

[alinas2010]

Thank you for this. This is EXACTLY how I feel. Mine are pets and are loved and adored.
So I think I need to be patient like you said. I did build a coop and run big enough for 10 birds in case I decide to push the rules a bit. And they free range when I'm home (I go to the office 3 days a week. But even the days I go to work I come home at lunch and let the dog and birdies out for an hour!).
I still might add 2 this year to get to my max and then just be for a while. I'm ok if I need to buy eggs too. I had to last year since I didn't realize I'd get NO eggs for months!

They sound like they have a wonderful life. Haha i also am considering adding some more this spring. My little Ravioli needs some friends as she is the outcast in the flock, having integrated from a neighbors after he wanted to cull her for egg eating. But my luck would be I would get some friends for Ravioli and then I would need some more friends for those friends and…on and on

I LOVE hearing when they all get to live out their entire natural lives in a good environment, but I absolutely also understand people using them as a food source once they pass laying age. I myself am a hunter and completely agree with the idea of ethically and responsibly raising and harvesting animals for food. At the very least it’s great to be able to provide animals with a good life before being harvested. Could never do it to our animals, but for many it is a reasonable option.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

I got my first 4 chickens in Spring 2021. I had no idea how much I would love being a chicken mom. So I'm hooked, addicted, in love, obsessed!

I lost 1 girl Dec 2022. Then added 3 baby chicks Spring 2023. So now I have 6 beloved girls running around all over my yard and life!

I live in Seattle and can only have 8 hens (no roosters).

I was thinking of getting 2 girls next Spring (2025). The thought was every 2 years I would add a couple of chicks as the older girls reproduction/egg laying decreases. (They will all retire and live out their natural life with me regardless!).

But I am just itching to get chicks THIS year! But then I'd have my max 8 chickens all under 3 years old. Seems like I should have flock with a larger age span? Plus am I going to just want to get more chicks again next year and the next (even though I'd be at my max and can't).

How do you all manage a small flock with tight allowable quantity by the city?

Ahhh, chicken math. There isn't a chicken lover alive who doesn't struggle with it!