Tuesday, August 24, 2010

An Interminable Sense of Being

Photo: greenkozi, Flickr Creative Commons

I'm thinking about getting more chickens. I had decided that I was going to let my flock dwindle down to nothing after a series of attacks last year wiped out most of the birds I had remaining that weren't killed during a respiratory infection that swept through my flock about three years ago. I'm currently down to one hen, but she's learned from the follies of the others and sleeps in the dense cover and high branches of the cedar tree in the back yard instead of in the relative open of my son's swing set like the chickens used to do. I stuck them in the back yard to stop the respiratory infection. More space, more foraging, less confinement in places where their germs would linger. Their health drastically improved, but they lost some of the protection from predators. The end result was an improvement in the quality of life but no real change in their life expectancy. I think I'd be willing to make that trade off. The birds don't really have much of a choice.

The chicken pens exploded with weeds in the two years they haven't been used. The first year the sheer toxicity of chicken crap in excess kept all but the hardiest grasses in check, but over the course of this summer, time and microbial action has turned that soil from toxic to enriched and there are all sorts of herbaceous weeds poking through the top of the six-foot-tall pens.

That lone hen has started acting a little strangely though. She's healthy, but she suddenly seems needy. I'd like to buy her a couple of companions, but unfortunately the adult birds they sell at one of the local feed and seed stores run $10 a bird, which is a little more than I want to pay for companions for a stupid chicken. It wouldn't really save any money on buying chicks, though. At this time of year, they'd have to be mail order and that means a minimum order of 25. Small number times big number still equals bigger number.

Part of this, I guess, is part of a restructuring in how I live my life. My wife and I have really taken a conscious effort in the last month and half to change our lifestyle so we can put away more into savings. Part of that means staying home more and our wanderings were part of what led me to decide to let the birds die off naturally without replenishing the flock. It was a pain to find someone to take care of the birds while we were gone and I hated the feeling of being anchored to one place, but let's face it. I am anchored to one place. I have a job. I have a family. I have a limited income.

Maybe I should just get guineas.

11 comments:

Courtney said...

How exactly can you tell if your hen is needy?

Jacob said...

Well, when I go out to feed her, she'll follow me around like a puppy when I walk away from the food. Chickens are supposed to be more worried about food than people, although they are a flock bird.

Theresa B (of Nebulopathy) said...

Our feed store has individual chicks for sale, so you might want to try there. I consider getting chickens every once in a while, but then I smack myself. I really don't need any more animals to take care of. Besides, keeping chickens safe from raccoons in this area is pretty difficult.

Theresa B (of Nebulopathy) said...

And... now that I reread your post I see that you've tried the feed stores. I gotta give up commenting before I've had caffeine.

Jacob said...

Yeah, chicks are a seasonal thing here. I have a mild issue with impetuousness, so I can't just wait for March when they show up.

Plus, they only sell crap breed. I want something cool like light Brahma or Egyptian Fayoumis. Actually, I've always wanted the Fayoumis. They're really good foragers (basically a little bit wild), but they're small and have small eggs.

Chris said...

Aw, just bring the hen to live inside the house. How gross could it get?
(Kidding. I'm sure it would get incredibly gross.)

Theresa B (of Nebulopathy) said...

Sounds like a Fayoumis might be what you need for that area, although I wonder how much of a companion to the other bird it would be. Craigslist maybe?

Jacob said...

Eh. Craigslist isn't worth much to me. The closest county with more than one high school is about 60 miles away and the closest thing that really qualifies for city instead of town is more like 90. The tri-county shopper would be much more useful for where I live. I've used it before.

I ended up going with a fall Hatch Special from http://www.sandhillpreservation.com. It's basically whatever odds and ends they still have laying at this time of the year. It's a random mixture of chickens, guineas, and possibly turkeys.

Rassles said...

You should get a pony!

I don't really know if they'll be friends, but ponies are wonderful.

Jacob said...

Sadly, Rassles, I hate horses.

Julie said...

My cousin's broody hen was not a very good momma so she only hatched one of the eggs. No spare chickies for you. The unfortunate part is that she got so weak from sitting that they had to put her down last week.