Chicken math prevailed!

[Madie'sOddFlock]

Abandon TSC!!! Find a locally owned feed store where they know what they are selling you plus the bonus of shopping a small business!!! (Please notice I do NOT negate chicken math, as my husband and I (2 people) could never eat enough eggs that over 35 hens + the eggs that are in the incubator now can produce. I GIVE my extra eggs away).

I wish we could buy more often from the local feed stores, but one only seems to have the very basic breeds, there's never anything special(so it's always broilers, rhode island reds(which turn out to be buckeyes in our experience), barred rocks, etc.). The other we bought from is a guy who breeds his own and runs our state poultry connection, we bought 20(10 barred rocks, 10 rhode island red(which are actually rhode island reds although not of the old strain)) we got lucky with straight run and ended up with only 2 roos out of the entire batch. So we've had good luck with him, but he only has so many chicks at a time, and won't take orders before a hatch because he can't guarantee anything... So when I feel the need to get more chicks I take out my incubator and start it up again(it typically runs at least twice from Feb. to Apr. and then once every 3.5ish weeks(so non stop) until about mid June). I only bought from TSC last year because I hatched out one lonely chick my first incubation of the year... Then 2 other flocks that aren't mine were added to and I just kept building up my flock as new breeds came in(until about April and then I was too busy hatching my aunt's eggs(her incubator has only 28 slots, mine has 41, and she has too many eggs to sell/eat/hatch on her own...)).

EDIT: apparently the poultry connection store is closing as of today, so we are down to 1 local feed store... Hopefully going to get $100+ incubators for $60. It's sad to see them close, especially since it sounds like they won't reopen in a different location... But I love the sales..

 

[woodmort]

Welcome to the confessional. Like many of you, my spouse is an enabler. In spite of the fact I am chief feeder, waterer, pooper scooper and generally all-around chicken caretaker it is she that ways says "Why not?" Thus 6 from TSC then another 6 added although I previously ordered 3 dozen for June delivery this on top of the 8 hold-over survivors of mink/weasel/coon attacks. You'd think after 30+ years of keeping them I'd learn but "nope". Oh well, they love me at the food bank.

 

[KIMEng]

OMG, this post is hilarious, Chicken math is what I call Chicken Addiction! After reading these post my husband is now feeling fortunate we did not end up with more chickens than we have. So from the start this was his idea, he wanted a few chickens. Well you have to buy 4 at our Tractor Supply, so we got 4 cute little chicks (a BR, SLW, Leghorn and what we thought was a Buff Orpington-which turned out to be a Red Sex Link-which is fine with us she is super sweet and a super layer) and completely fell in love the Leghorn and RSL which thought they were parakeets and will perch on my hand. Unfortunately we lost our dear Leghorn to a predator one night-very sad. So while revamping the coop to further predator proof it we ordered 3 more chicks from Meyer Hatchery (a Lavender Orpington, my avatar-she is just gorgeous, a Black Jersey Giant and a Buff Laced Polish-a complete nutter girl) We thought, ok, 6 is a good number. Well when they arrived there were 4, my husband accused me of sneaking another one in-but I did not. Meyer will send you a free chick with your order, what they call a meal maker, with the intent of giving her eggs away or butchering it and giving the chicken away. So then there were 7. This is completely addictive, my Meyer Hatchery little catalog book is completely dog eared and crumble from me frequently perusing it for a new flock order. These quirky girls and their shenanigans are so much fun to watch-Ugh more to come i'm sure....addicted to chickens in Orlando!!

 

[Quackter]

Welcome to the confessional. Like many of you, my spouse is an enabler. In spite of the fact I am chief feeder, waterer, pooper scooper and generally all-around chicken caretaker it is she that ways says "Why not?" Thus 6 from TSC then another 6 added although I previously ordered 3 dozen for June delivery this on top of the 8 hold-over survivors of mink/weasel/coon attacks. You'd think after 30+ years of keeping them I'd learn but "nope". Oh well, they love me at the food bank.

Pretty good passive defense, if you're somewhere you can't just chootem', You can put around your coop and turn on once the chickens roost. I don't know about mink, but everything else don't like them at all. https://www.domestify.com/products/...MIttjv9tub5AIVlYTICh29iwrJEAQYAyABEgJi0PD_BwE P.S. I don't know the brand, we rigged ours with a relay, and a too expensive valve. Will keep cranes off of fish ponds, and deer outta gardens.

 

[Jac Jac]

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.

Kinda. My issue is I tend to "rescue" them from distraught situations, rather than having to buy ALL of them. For instance, when I ''rescued" the 5 Pekin "hens" (two of which are actually drakes), we also ended up with a red-laced golden Wyandotte - with a bumblefoot, an unknown black roo and two 4 week old kittens that had to be bottle-fed. This menagerie is crazy good for me, but it drives the family bonkers, since I demand special coop and dietary accommodations for each coops' occupants. What can I say... I'm differently-abled and I need to feel needed. Lol, but seriously, I love my flocks and my family does too. None of us can imagine life without them, therefore we're actively in the market for a larger farm.

 

[mamablair]

Kinda. My issue is I tend to "rescue" them from distraught situations, rather than having to buy ALL of them. For instance, when I ''rescued" the 5 Pekin "hens" (two of which are actually drakes), we also ended up with a red-laced golden Wyandotte - with a bumblefoot, an unknown black roo and two 4 week old kittens that had to be bottle-fed. This menagerie is crazy good for me, but it drives the family bonkers, since I demand special coop and dietary accommodations for each coops' occupants. What can I say... I'm differently-abled and I need to feel needed. Lol, but seriously, I love my flocks and my family does too. None of us can imagine life without them, therefore we're actively in the market for a larger farm.

I'm a rescuer as well, have been since I was a kid. And then I have been a stay at home mom for the past 8 years my human babies aren't exactly babies anymore. I need to be needed.

 

[Jac Jac]

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

Me too. Now, if I can only find a farm I can afford here in South Georgia...

 

[Jac Jac]

My poor hubby... he has to build a second coop now.

We got four ducklings in April too. They are doing fantastic. I want some more of those too in the spring. Chicken math isn't limited to just chickens.

You're absolutely right, my duck math is outrageous but since someone is looking over my shoulder as I type, I'll have to explain later. All the best to each of you, your quackers and cluckers.

 

[Jac Jac]

Ummm, this is what I call duck math.......
93 ducks + 15 more on the way + 46 duck eggs currently being incubated + more duck eggs that might accidentally start getting incubated!

Yeah. That's my kind of math. Pray that i acquire a farm soon as my brood is about to explode exponentially in a few days.

 

[Jac Jac]

BUFFALOES! Oh come on, you can't tell us that and not post pictures!!!!

I totally agree. I want pics. I want pics. I want pics. Please!!!