Chicken Math Strikes Again

[Canuck88]

yup, because a loved free range bird NEVER get ripped to bits, while alive during daylight hours... and not all are given safe housing.

I didn’t say all, I said in general. I also never said that I free range, or that people who do don’t lose birds to predators.

What I DID say is that keeping chickens contained for 2 years and then releasing them into the wild is cruel.

 

[Coopscraft]

Chicken math can become quite severe. I started with ten Cornish x out and in less than a year they have transformed into about 70 chickens. Of course net it’s much less because the first one of each breed doesn’t count and the cockrals don’t count either.

 

[Coopscraft]

Except that free range birds usually still have a coop for protection at night. A chicken on the open ground after nightfall is easy pickings. Not judging just acknowledging that there is a difference between free range and free release.

Leghorns never spend the night on the ground when the nearest branch is thirty feet up.

 

[Acre4Me]

I didn’t say all, I said in general. I also never said that I free range, or that people who do don’t lose birds to predators.

What I DID say is that keeping chickens contained for 2 years and then releasing them into the wild is cruel.

yup, it’s not what I would do. But, surprisingly there are actually A LOT of people that do things like this. FWIW, the chickens actually lived for several weeks until the first one was taken. And a few months before none were seen. And they were white chickens!

 

[Mvan42]

What only 5.... hmmmmm. I think adding a few more will help... hehehe

 

[Mtnboomer]

Of course, pretty obvious. However, it does often get touted as wonderful-best-ever to free range despite predator attacks during daytime when the supposedly loved chicken get torn to bits while alive or those keepers that don’t actually close them up at night or let them roost wherever. But, for the record, I’ve never done that (release into the great circle of life type scenario, or plan to), and my chickens are provided with safe housing.

I didn't say you did nor did you. Your neighbor did. I said "not judging" to each their own. Yes day time attacks do occur. In 3 yrs of keeping free range chickens, I have only lost one to predation and it occurred in the middle of a sunshine bluebird day but before we got our dog. We live in rural mountains with everything from bears to bobcats running through our backyard. There is risk involved but the overwhelming percentage of predator attacks occur at night. People who free range and provide no shelter at night, dont lock up, what have you, are irresponsible or careless and begging for predator attacks. Its their choice on how to raise their flock but I have no remorse for those poor chicken keepers that dont protect their birds and wake up with one or all missing or dead. My sympathies are reserved for the departed.

 

[TheFarm41]

We understand chicken math on our farm. We have 75 chickens give or take 10, I quit counting! Predators get some, some just up and die, some go missing and return a month later with a dozen or so chicks in tow. One friend found a hen on the side of the road and decided it needed to live at our farm. Any way, many of our ladies are getting old 4+ years. So this winter our egg production is down. But I'm happy to say we never got skunked. We averaged about a dozen a day during the short days, we live in the Northwest and there is a lot of dark short days. Our lowest day in late December was 4 eggs. Egg production has picked up again, but we are definitely going to have to start thinning the flock. I see chicken soup in our future.

 

[2Arroyos]

love our messy ducks, and our not so messy chickens. We built a "pond" for them from a big round stock tank. We added a drain so that we can clean it regularly and they love it! they lay eggs consistently over the winter which our hens don't.

 

[countryladyNH]

Somehow convinced the family that the flock should continue to grow this year, due to a handful of hens turning 9+ years old. So in December (the earliest we've ever placed an order for chicks) I headed to Meyer Hatchery's website and browsed. I am a fan of hardy, unique hens of all shapes and sizes, so I chose three varieties (Two orpingtons and a Maran) which were immediately vetoed. "Eggs!" they said, "WE WANT LOTS OF EGGS." Remember they were saying this in December during the molt/egg strike... we get plenty of eggs in the summer (about a dozen a day from 17 hens).

But, I listened to them and came back with a group of 4 hens (they want more eggs, right? An extra chick will do the trick!) AGAIN. Vetoed. So I took off two of the fancy breeds and was left with a Buff Orpington and Lavender Orpington... non negotiables. I grudgingly suggested maybe we could add two golden comets, which, although eGGcellent layers, I find them boring. At the mention of their strengths in laying, the order was approved and placed.

Guys. December is early, and gives a chicken keeper time to really think about what she wants. The month of January was nearing its end, and I stomped inside the house from my trip to collect eggs. My bounty? One single, gorgeous maran egg. From 17 HENS! This girl has literally laid an egg a day when no other chicken has through the shortest days of the year. Of course, at this point, the whole family is grumbling and complaining about the store bought eggs we are forced to buy when our hens aren't laying. "Man, if only we had ordered some more marans with our order..." I said. "EGGS!" the family replied, "We want eggs in the winter! Nice sized eggs, like that one." They pointed to the egg I was holding .

So I went back to Meyer's site and checked to see what was still available for our hatch date. BINGO. White and Cuckoo Marans. But then I felt bad for the two unborn Golden Comet chicks I had already committed to buy... It's not their fault, you know? So I compromised. + 1 White Maran, + 1 Cuckoo Maran, -1 Golden Comet.

Did my math work there? No?

So long story short, what was supposed to be an order of 3 chicks in December has now grown to an order of 5 chicks... and it's only February. And the coop hasn't gotten any bigger!

Thanks for listening

LOL, completely identify!!! Started our chicken keeping adventure in 2016 with a not-huge coop (still have same one) and 4 buff orpingtons. That was going to be it. A year later and we bought 2 more buff chicks. Last summer we lost one hen to a predator and one chick died so we had 6 buffs. Well, just this week I convinced my hubby to let me get 2 Speckled Sussex (girl) chicks! (They are very friendly and lay well. We've never had anything but the orpingtons, so are looking forward to the sussexs coming). They are being shipped (at about 4 weeks) old in March!!! So here we are, up to 8 hens and a moderate coop (JUST enough room for all on the perch). Can't wait until the 'Littles' come!! Oh, PS we built a separate coop ourselves from scratch last fall for the 2 ducks and a Pilgrim goose named Mayflower that we got! LOVE them all!!!

 

[countryladyNH]

Yea ducks are messy. Mine are pets though i love them.

We do too!!!!!!!