Chicken math prevailed!

[MissMarple]

We started with 6 then I *had* to take the kids to the feed store with me and that brought home another 6, 2 of which are accidental meat birds (TSC and their mislabeled bins and employees that have never had anything to do with chickens) so technically just 4 since our 2 Cornishes will be culled in a couple of weeks now. Then I go back with the whole family because we need feed and I wanted my husband to show me what he was talking about us using for the run and, of course, we can't leave without a peeping box. Our count was at 18 total with 2 to be culled early (I'm so sad because they're so sweet!) and that was satisfying. Our coop is plenty big to handle this many and more. More. A friend calls to tell me new chicks are in and they're marking down chicks and I can't help myself, I want at least 3. So we agree to split the order. She gets them and then radio silence. For a full 24 hours. Husband sees my disappointment and can't stand it so off to TSC we go and you can't buy less than 6 so.... chicken math. 24 chicks, 3 separate brooders, plenty of love to go around. After researching so much, I'm fairly certain that out of our first 6 Australorps, only 2 are actually Australorps. Unless 4-5 week old Black Australorp juvenile feathers are barred....? So I think we're actually looking at either Cuckoo Marans or Barred Rocks as both were for sale at the same time and many were in the same bins together. I really wish that TSC would hire people during chick days who have some kind of experience with chickens. Husband is officially, lovingly, referred to as the Chicken Man around these parts. We have one specific "Australorp" that adores him. Picture for cuteness.

For now, our flock stays at 24....... until I have to go back to get feed and they end up getting something in that I just can't say no to. Does everyone have this problem? I can't help myself.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No, you're the only one.
Seriously, we don't have a TSC and our local feed store stops carrying chicks about mid-April, so we're immune. But I'm already "making a list and checking it twice" to decide what to order next spring! ... even though I'm actually at capacity right now.

 

[starri33]

, I had chicken math before I knew there was such a thing, I went to TSC to get chicks the first time, had to get 6, then got to reading where people lost 2 or 3, so when I went back, I bought another 6, figuring I'd end up with maybe 8.. fast forward and I had 12 healthy happy hens..lol. After that I was watching/reading about everyone hatching here, so had to buy a incubator, hatched 6 at a time as the eggs were large and that is all my incubator would hold.. so ended up with 18. After that I had hatched for a friend, he came by to get his chicks from me, he'd been to tractor supply, showed me the cute little red sexlinks he'd picked up.. I had to go get some. Bought 4 this time, called hubby and told him how good I'd been at restricting myself to 4 and that they had only 4 left of the sexlinks..lol, being the enabler that he is, he told me to get the rest of them. after that, I'd bought some eggs to hatch, and then went and got some chickens, chicks and eggs from another friend.. took in some chickens that needed rehomed, at last count I think I have 54 of them..lol

 

[Kabootar]

We started with 6 then I *had* to take the kids to the feed store with me and that brought home another 6, 2 of which are accidental meat birds (TSC and their mislabeled bins and employees that have never had anything to do with chickens) so technically just 4 since our 2 Cornishes will be culled in a couple of weeks now. Then I go back with the whole family because we need feed and I wanted my husband to show me what he was talking about us using for the run and, of course, we can't leave without a peeping box. Our count was at 18 total with 2 to be culled early (I'm so sad because they're so sweet!) and that was satisfying. Our coop is plenty big to handle this many and more. More. A friend calls to tell me new chicks are in and they're marking down chicks and I can't help myself, I want at least 3. So we agree to split the order. She gets them and then radio silence. For a full 24 hours. Husband sees my disappointment and can't stand it so off to TSC we go and you can't buy less than 6 so.... chicken math. 24 chicks, 3 separate brooders, plenty of love to go around. After researching so much, I'm fairly certain that out of our first 6 Australorps, only 2 are actually Australorps. Unless 4-5 week old Black Australorp juvenile feathers are barred....? So I think we're actually looking at either Cuckoo Marans or Barred Rocks as both were for sale at the same time and many were in the same bins together. I really wish that TSC would hire people during chick days who have some kind of experience with chickens. Husband is officially, lovingly, referred to as the Chicken Man around these parts. We have one specific "Australorp" that adores him. Picture for cuteness. View attachment 1882468
For now, our flock stays at 24....... until I have to go back to get feed and they end up getting something in that I just can't say no to. Does everyone have this problem? I can't help myself.

Consider yourself lucky. I have around 500 birds and that's an educated guess. That's when I keep eating old hens and extra roosters, keep selling the eggs, I also sell a lot of chicks, pullets, ducks, geese, turkey and guinea fowl. Still their numbers keep growing, perhaps because my girls keep getting broody and I give in to their demands. I suppose I have 150 or so barnyard mutts.

 

[MissMarple]

No, you're the only one.
Seriously, we don't have a TSC and our local feed store stops carrying chicks about mid-April, so we're immune. But I'm already "making a list and checking it twice" to decide what to order next spring! ... even though I'm actually at capacity right now.

Time to build another coop! Or make your's bigger! Plenty of time before Spring!! haha! After what I saw at TSC yesterday (I could not sleep) with the ducklings, I'm ready to build a duck house as well. Just bring home all the babies. Do you have good luck with ordering them? I've been looking at Cackle Hatchery the last couple of days. Not for now, I'm bad enough, but Chicken Man did tell me to make a wish list. Okay, so, he assumed I was making a wish list already and he was right... but he wasn't mad about it.

 

[MissMarple]

, I had chicken math before I knew there was such a thing, I went to TSC to get chicks the first time, had to get 6, then got to reading where people lost 2 or 3, so when I went back, I bought another 6, figuring I'd end up with maybe 8.. fast forward and I had 12 healthy happy hens..lol. After that I was watching/reading about everyone hatching here, so had to buy a incubator, hatched 6 at a time as the eggs were large and that is all my incubator would hold.. so ended up with 18. After that I had hatched for a friend, he came by to get his chicks from me, he'd been to tractor supply, showed me the cute little red sexlinks he'd picked up.. I had to go get some. Bought 4 this time, called hubby and told him how good I'd been at restricting myself to 4 and that they had only 4 left of the sexlinks..lol, being the enabler that he is, he told me to get the rest of them. after that, I'd bought some eggs to hatch, and then went and got some chickens, chicks and eggs from another friend.. took in some chickens that needed rehomed, at last count I think I have 54 of them..lol

Omgsh. I've been reading about hatching here and I want to so badly. Not yet. But one of these days. I've been researching bators. I just... This is a sickness. And I don't want a cure. Wow! 54! I love it! And the way you acquired them all!

 

[slippednfell]

I got my first six over the spring, but then I had to get four more when I saw different ones at a different feed store... then I got two more when new ones came in at the first feed store... lost all of them due to predators... Shored up our weak spots and got 20 via mail order that were born on 7/31 and just got another 18 via mail order that were born on 8/14. Lost 3 the first night from the second shipment. I am a full on addict. I will be ordering some Buff Orphingtons in the spring. Somebody stop me!

 

[MissMarple]

Consider yourself lucky. I have around 500 birds and that's an educated guess. That's when I keep eating old hens and extra roosters, keep selling the eggs, I also sell a lot of chicks, pullets, ducks, geese, turkey and guinea fowl. Still their numbers keep growing, perhaps because my girls keep getting broody and I give in to their demands. I suppose I have 150 or so barnyard mutts.

Wow!!!!! That's amazing! I like your kind of chicken math!!!

 

[slippednfell]

Cackle Hatchery

Cackle is where I get mine from.

 

[MissMarple]

I got my first six over the spring, but then I had to get four more when I saw different ones at a different feed store... then I got two more when new ones came in at the first feed store... lost all of them due to predators... Shored up our weak spots and got 20 via mail order that were born on 7/31 and just got another 18 via mail order that were born on 8/14. Lost 3 the first night from the second shipment. I am a full on addict. I will be ordering some Buff Orphingtons in the spring. Somebody stop me!

Awh!! No, no stopping now! Sorry for the lost babies but yay for new babies! And lots more than originally planned! That's good chicken math!