Counting your chickens

[alwaystj9]

I have between 30-35 chickens, including 2 definite and 2 maybe roosters. (I gotta say, it's hard to get a good count of moving chickens). I plan on selling the Lavender Orpingtons before winter because they are the ones struggling most in this weather -- I won't be going forward with them next year. I would like to go into winter with 20-25 chickens. I'll probably lose at least one over the winter to mystery death and a couple to predators (hawk migration season). The goal is to have 18 hens and 2 roos to start 2024. And hope feed prices don't go much higher.
What numbers are you planning to over winter and how do you plan for next year?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I'm not sure on my plans yet for the year and winter. I currently have 18 hens at the moment. I've been toying with the idea of selling them all before winter and starting a smaller flock with new chicks and possibly some cool breed that I've never owned before in the Spring. Unfortunately, I've got some special hens in my flock that I don't want to part with, yet issues that I'm worn out from. So it's something that I've been back and forth on.

 

[alwaystj9]

Would those specials be the "Moldy Birds" of your sig line?

 

[K0k0shka]

I have 13 total right now - 7 hens and 6 pullets. I'm going to keep 2 of the pullets and eat the rest. I just can't wait for them to put on some more meat so I can get it over with, 13 is too much for me. So the plan is to head into winter with 9 total, of which one hen is terminally ill but stable at the moment, so if she doesn't make it, I'll end up with my ultimate target goal of 8.

 

[RebelFord81]

I have 5 hens 9 pullets and a surprise Roo, hoping come spring i i can talk my husband into a few more peeps to bring our count up to 20 I like even rounded numbers

 

[TheAlarmCluck]

Currently, I have 11 chickens in the coop - 5 hens (including one broody), 2 pullets, 2 cockerels, and the last 2 can be either pullets or roos.
We also have 6 Wyandotte chicks in the brooder, as we are looking to expand our flock. One of our hens went broody a few weeks ago, so we gave her 6 duck eggs, which are now incubating underneath her.
So by next spring, we will have around 20-22 chickens and ducks.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I haven't decided on an exact number to finish the year with or anything. I have 130 birds at the moment, but 70 of those are grow outs for my breeding groups, so most of those will not be staying. I'd like to keep a max of 6 cockerels, preferably 4 or 5, and around 10-12 of the pullets for breeding. It all depends on how they look as they fill out the rest of the way. Of the adult birds I have, I expect a couple not to be around by wintertime (very, very aged hens that have started slowing down and showing other signs that their age is getting the best of them), and I likely will not be keeping one of my adult roosters, either, simply because he's served his purpose of making chicks this year and I'd like to rotate him out for another male. So I guess I'm aiming to overwinter around 75-80 birds.

As for planning for next year, that's complicated because of other things going on in my life that will make next year a lot different than this year for me, so I don't know if I can really answer on that. It's also a little tricky to say what my goals could be until my grow outs have grown enough for me to know what I'll potentially be working with. Either way, I tend to prefer to give myself sort of nebulous goals to aim for with the birds versus any kind of solid, definite plan. That gives me a bit more leeway for when, not if, when things don't go as expected.

 

[RebelFord81]

I haven't decided on an exact number to finish the year with or anything. I have 130 birds at the moment, but 70 of those are grow outs for my breeding groups, so most of those will not be staying. I'd like to keep a max of 6 cockerels, preferably 4 or 5, and around 10-12 of the pullets for breeding. It all depends on how they look as they fill out the rest of the way. Of the adult birds I have, I expect a couple not to be around by wintertime (very, very aged hens that have started slowing down and showing other signs that their age is getting the best of them), and I likely will not be keeping one of my adult roosters, either, simply because he's served his purpose of making chicks this year and I'd like to rotate him out for another male. So I guess I'm aiming to overwinter around 75-80 birds.

As for planning for next year, that's complicated because of other things going on in my life that will make next year a lot different than this year for me, so I don't know if I can really answer on that. It's also a little tricky to say what my goals could be until my grow outs have grown enough for me to know what I'll potentially be working with. Either way, I tend to prefer to give myself sort of nebulous goals to aim for with the birds versus any kind of solid, definite plan. That gives me a bit more leeway for when, not if, when things don't go as expected.

My husband would stroke out if I had 130 birds

 

[K0k0shka]

My husband would stroke out if I had 130 birds

Forget the husband - *I* would stroke out if I had 130 birds

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I'm breeding a rare variety for preservation and with the hopes that it can one day maybe even be added to the standard, so that means hatching lots and lots of chicks and picking the best individuals to put forward in the breeding program.