Reality Check!

[Sharon Yorks]

My son came into my office this morning, looked around, and said, "Do you have any idea how many animals are in this room right now?" After taking a quick head count...keep in mind there were 2 dogs and a cat, too...I looked at him and said, "48." He shook his head and walked out. I really don't know what the big deal is. Most of them are less than 2 weeks old. I'm sure many of you have birds in parts of your house, too, right? I mean really! Is 45 chicks really THAT many-- Wait! I just put eggs in the hatcher that are due Monday. Do they count, too? 

[Holiday Hatch]

Sharon - I have my Silkie hen right beside me here in the office with 23 baby chicks I just took out of the incubator and gave to her to raise.  Howard walks by the incubator which is also in the office with me and asks if all these eggs are going to hatch? 
NPIP doesn't count chickens until their 4 months old so I follow that rule.  Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone in my love for chickens.  Linda 

[Jean]

NPIP does count those chicks, they just aren't testable.

[Mike Gilbert]

 Sharon, you have me beat for sure.   I only have 24 bantam chicks in the furnace room right now.  After a week, out they go to a brooder in the pole shed.   But I do keep a furnace filter over the box to catch most of the inevitable dust.   As far as grown chickens, just call me anti-anthropomorphic.  I can love them just as much in the coop where they belong - and don't have to put up with the mess.   Of course this 24 will be replaced by another batch next week, as I set eggs once a week during the hatching season.

[jwoodhaven]

At one time this year we had about 250 chicks in the basement in brooders. I can blame mother nature this year  for them all in the basement.

[Lee G]

Last year my husband told me no more chicks in the basement...so I've moved them to the bedroom.

Lo and behold, suddenly the basement is just fine for the first few days, hehe.

[Sharon Yorks]

Mike...anti-anthropomorphic I don't do big words. What does that mean?

Jerry...You win!

Lee...I am SO going to remember that the next time my husband makes another comment about the birds in MY office. And I've got the perfect little cage to put a few in and know just where to put it in the bedroom  I really must meet you some day.

[Susan Mouw]

Mike...anti-anthropomorphic I don't do big words. What does that mean?

Interesting thread.  Right now I don't have any chickens in the house (except the eggs I'm gathering to fire up the incubator this weekend), but I do have three dogs and a cat.  Last spring, at one point, I had over 100 chicks inside...

Never thought of putting a furnace filter over the brooder (I use big plastic storage bins from WalMart) to cut down on the dust. What a great idea!

Anti-anthropomorphic.  Well anthropomorphic is giving animals human like attitudes, emotions, traits, etc.  Like when we call our dogs our "kids", and our chickens our "babies"...things like that.  So anti-anthropomorphic would be against that, I take it.

[Temple DaSilva]

Our study is where we hatch then brood chicks for a few weeks.  I know...  they are chickens and it is in the house but it makes it easier as far as temperature control in a New England winter.  Plus, my husband just loves the whole hatching process so it's nice to have easy access to the incubator.

As for the basement, I do keep my show coops down there... and my birds in quarantine post-show... and then a grow-out space for chicks after all the show birds are long gone and everything is de-conned.  But the basement kinda isn't "in the house"... right?

Plus, I thought you were never supposed to count your chickens... before or after they hatch!  I'm all for keeping records but never a running total.   

[Birdcrazy]

Anti-anthropomorphic.  Well anthropomorphic is giving animals human like attitudes, emotions, traits, etc.  Like when we call our dogs our "kids", and our chickens our "babies"...things like that.  So anti-anthropomorphic would be against that, I take it.

Thanks Susan, so that is what that big word means! I've made it past 4 letter words and moved on but just not to gigantic words. I don't count my chickens either. People are always asking me how many I have, but I have no clue!

[Susan Mouw]

Anti-anthropomorphic.  Well anthropomorphic is giving animals human like attitudes, emotions, traits, etc.  Like when we call our dogs our "kids", and our chickens our "babies"...things like that.  So anti-anthropomorphic would be against that, I take it.

Thanks Susan, so that is what that big word means! I've made it past 4 letter words and moved on but just not to gigantic words. I don't count my chickens either. People are always asking me how many I have, but I have no clue!

Well, I asked Conner, my 8 yr old Lab, and that is what he said, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt.

[Birdcrazy]

Smart dog!