Advanced degree in chicken math

The chicken math started with 3 hens running around for fun, and we are now here. We've had chickens for 20 years now, got into them because we moved out of the city and they seemed like fun to have around plus the goats. Plus, unlike goats and horses, they provided some of their rent. Now we've got a laying flock, a few for breeding because we like the big chickens, and the girls have the 4-H birds now also. So we've progressed to having ducks, geese, guineas and the noisy peafowl.

The yard is hilarious because we've always had dark colored chickens, DH likes them best. Well, daughters got into bantam Cochins because of the cute factor. Well, little white Cochins are way cuter popping over the yard like popcorn. So during free range time, we have big black chickens with these white birds. Oh well, it's fun.

Right now, we've got the "no mixing of breeds please" set up going. Minor failure there this year, the little wierd colored Cochin roo who lives with the layers, well sure, he thinks he's a big roo. That's fine. But the queen Barred Rock laid an egg in one of the Orphs nest, who then turned broody over HER nest and instead of 5 little black Orphs hopping around, we have 4 and 1 BR/Cochin running around. Now, please note, this is the Orph who has gone broody EVERY winter, and we just let her sit on her eggs which have not been fertile before. So nope, didn't expect chickies from her. Of course, the princess HAS to hatch her clutch during a) a hideous winter storm and b) when I am out of town. Which as such means we now have an Orph inside with her babies. Because Daddy would not let anything happen to anyone.

Rest of the year, the big birds coop together with the guineas and ducks, the little birds coop together, the geese have their coop and the peafowl have their newly built lovely barn, where our male is very happy with his lovely 8 ladies.

That's the news here, we've passed chicken math at a sprint.

Amanda