I finally have something nice to say about the chickens (after all their recent drama), so I figured it's about time to post about them again ;) My cute chicken-tender Scootie has been loving his job as 'supervising boss' of their free range time. He takes his job very seriously, can't you tell??
Last you heard, we finally got them paired off two and two and were keeping them in separate pens full time. That's still our reality. Cleaning and feeding two pens of chickens who used to get along with each other, and still don't. And it's still frustrating. But we're making progress, and that's what I'm focusing on.
Now they're able to have a half hour of supervised free range time together with minimal conflict. The first few times we tried this they wouldn't even come in the same area as each other. They simply stayed in their pairs and moved about the yard together with their 'buddy of choice'.
But after a few nights of this in a row, we've gotten to where they can be occupying the same space, and not fight. I'm still not ready to try putting them back together, we think our coop doesn't have enough space and that's why they're picking on each other. So we're in limbo with the chickens right now, just as we are in limbo with the rest of our life. Guess it kinda fits.
Once we know more about our final destination after Jake's graduation, we will have to make some decisions about the hens' future as well. More than likely, we will be unable to take the hens with us when we go and we will have to re-home them with someone locally.
I've gone through about every emotion on the spectrum about this and have finally settled on being OK with it. Part of me feels that it's currently a waste of my time to keep and maintain the hens for these last few weeks that are 'undecided' but I also know if we ended up moving somewhere where we could take them with us, and I'd already given them away, that I would be upset about that too.
What would you do about the chicken-dilemma if it was your problem to solve?? I'm so torn...
I would have some baked chicken and count the whole thing up to some good life experience. You have been a saint, gone far beyond what would be expected with the hen experience. My hat's off to you.
ReplyDeleteDear Anon:
DeleteThanks so much for your comment on this. And a good laugh!
My husband agrees with you ;) I just don't have it in me to butcher these gals, but trust me when I say it's been a topic of discussion in our household more than once recently!
That being said... I think I COULD raise my own birds for meat and be able to butcher them, but since I hand raised, named, and coddled these four I don't think I can do it. I'd have to keep them separate and not interact much with the meat birds so I could be tough about it.
I don't think our girls would be very good eats anyway...or maybe that's me convincing myself again :)
sounds like you'll do great with multiple children - you already have so much practice! I'm excited to see where you guys and up at after Jake's graduation but it will be sad to see this part of your family find a new home
ReplyDeleteHaha yes! We have become great multi-taskers between dealing with the dogs and chickens we have lots of practice.
DeleteWe are SUPER excited to see where we will end up too :) And a little bit anxious, maybe that's just me!
I am sad to see this end too. It seems inevitable that we will have to re-home them based on places we're looking to move, but again, everything is SO up in the air I can't say anything with certainty these days ;)
SMOOCH Sawyer, Britt, and Norris for me.
The first time we (actually Denny) butchered our chickens that we had raised expressly for the purpose of eating, I gagged and decided I wasn't really that hungry. They had been my friends. I think you should wait until you find out where you are going before you make a decision. What are your destination choices?
ReplyDeleteJean, how did I not know you've raised chickens?!?
DeleteThe chickens are my friends too...and they're funny! And usually pretty cute.
We will wait and hold onto them as long as possible, just in case.
We have been looking at a lot of places, can't say anywhere for sure AT ALL yet, but they're mostly big cities we'll be looking at at first, where Jake could get a job with a larger LA firm, and big cities = no chickens for the most part.
I know someone local would have no problem adding them to their flock, people always want young hens of laying age and my girls are only 2 so that boost their chances-lots of good egg laying years left. My main worry is that someone takes them and ends up butchering them anyway. I can't control it, so I have to let that thought go.