After helping my parents raise a couple of flocks of their own on the family farm where we all live, they were happy when I decided that I wanted to try it myself and they could get a break. We processed their remaining flock of all Rhode Island Reds and I knew that one thing that I wanted to do was have some variety. I ordered my chicks through the local Farm & Fleet (via Cackle Hatchery) and was anxious for them to come.
My order consisted of:
15 Australorp Pullets
5 Australorp Cockerels
10 Rhode Island Red Pullets
5 White Leghorn Pullets
5 Austra-White Pullets (for comparison to the straight Leghorns)
5 Cuckoo Marans Pullets
And when I went to pick them up and saw they had extras for sale, I couldn't resist adding 2 Barred Rock Pullets and 3 Easter-Egger Pullets to the mix for an even 50 chicks. That's Chicken Math, right?
The problem is that I didn't bother counting them when my mother and I took each one out of the box for inspection and watering. When I finally took some time to examine them I noticed that I only had 9 fluffy yellow chicks (my leghorns and austra-whites) when there should have been 10. I automatically assumed that I had been short-chicked. So I started picking them up again and placing them in the box counting this time until I had enough I could count in the brooder area. The total did indeed seem to be 50 (I feel 90% sure), but I have no idea what extra I might have gotten in place of the leghorn or austra-white.
Now I know that it would be very difficult to tell all of them apart by breed at this point, but I am still bothered by not knowing more (better said everything) about what I have. I spent quite a bit of time investigating the mix that I wanted personally and maybe it's a little OCD, but only having 9 yellow fluffy chicks instead of 10, but still appearing to have 50 total is really bugging me.
Now that I have taken a long time to explain my problem, my question is... Without causing too much unneeded stress on my very young flock, what counting techniques do some of you use to know your exact count and basic types of chicks? Perhaps sticking them briefly back in a box isn't a bad thing, but I did want to pose the question because not knowing is really bothering me.
Thanks.
My order consisted of:
15 Australorp Pullets
5 Australorp Cockerels
10 Rhode Island Red Pullets
5 White Leghorn Pullets
5 Austra-White Pullets (for comparison to the straight Leghorns)
5 Cuckoo Marans Pullets
And when I went to pick them up and saw they had extras for sale, I couldn't resist adding 2 Barred Rock Pullets and 3 Easter-Egger Pullets to the mix for an even 50 chicks. That's Chicken Math, right?
The problem is that I didn't bother counting them when my mother and I took each one out of the box for inspection and watering. When I finally took some time to examine them I noticed that I only had 9 fluffy yellow chicks (my leghorns and austra-whites) when there should have been 10. I automatically assumed that I had been short-chicked. So I started picking them up again and placing them in the box counting this time until I had enough I could count in the brooder area. The total did indeed seem to be 50 (I feel 90% sure), but I have no idea what extra I might have gotten in place of the leghorn or austra-white.
Now I know that it would be very difficult to tell all of them apart by breed at this point, but I am still bothered by not knowing more (better said everything) about what I have. I spent quite a bit of time investigating the mix that I wanted personally and maybe it's a little OCD, but only having 9 yellow fluffy chicks instead of 10, but still appearing to have 50 total is really bugging me.
Now that I have taken a long time to explain my problem, my question is... Without causing too much unneeded stress on my very young flock, what counting techniques do some of you use to know your exact count and basic types of chicks? Perhaps sticking them briefly back in a box isn't a bad thing, but I did want to pose the question because not knowing is really bothering me.
Thanks.
