Chicken Math Strikes Again

[Crabella]

You've been there, I'm sure. I've read the stories. I went prepared. I even had a list. I only meant to get six, I repeat SIX pullets when I went to the feed store. So how is it I came home with 3 Silver laced Wynadotte, 3 Rhode Island Red, 3 Black Australorp, 3 Barred Rock AND 4 Buff Orpington? Sigh. I did manage to resist the americauna, the leghorns, sex-link, white rock, bantams, turkeys and ducks. I had a plan, really I did. Now just watch, my hens will all go broody NOW and hatch dozens.. Chicken math at it's finest... photos soon.... but still I've just got to say

babies! we've got babies!

 

[gryeyes]

I need feed TODAY and it's the day of the week my feed store gets new deliveries of chicks. (Chick days last until the middle of October.). I usually try to get there on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays, when all the best breeds are sold out.

I am actually quite nervous about this trip.

Help me be strong and ONLY pick up chicks of breeds I don't already have.... And NO straight run!


See, I know exactly how it is, Crabella!

 

[Crabella]

help you be strong???!!! You see how MY will power holds out...good luck and may the 'force' be with you.... LOL
Actually I blame all this on my hubby. He's the one who said "if you are going to buy some chicks this spring, you better do it soon or chick days will be over"...After 30 years, he should KNOW how I am. LOL

 

[TinkyFeathers]

Lol! Us too!!

We planned to get 8 chicks from our hatchery but the min. order was 25... so had to get more ya know then the free mystery chicks we signed up for....

 

[Crabella]

See, I knew there would understanding folk here. My daughter just laughs and rolls her eyes and my husbands is just happy I didn't come home with 2 dozen. In the meantime, I need to go do a bedtime check on those cute little fuzzie butts...

 

[peepacheep]

And this is just your first year....

We were going to get maybe 4-6 chicks 3 years ago. Add 25% in case of chick mortality, 4-6 turned into getting 12 that first year. (they all did fine) What would spring be without peeping chicks in the bathroom brooder? What spring be without molting chick fluff wafting out of the bathroom every time the door is opened and closed or vacuuming chick dander from the bathroom walls and ceiling? I do not know. The only thing I can say is that chicken math has gone from 4-6 chickens to a flock of 16 hens and 2 accidental roos. Plus there's 7 chicks in the bathroom brooder. Yup, I was only going to get 4 this year. Good luck with the chicken math. This is just the beginning of the wonderful adventure of having chickens!

 

[Zany Chick]

OK, I have only been on the forums a very short while, but this whole chicken math is scaring me. If I understand it correctly I've already fallen victim and my coop isn't even built! Have a materials list, that's a start, right?

I had all intentions of a nice little chicken tractor and 3 hens - 2 RIR and 1 BR. I then decide I wanted a more secure coop and thought I could probably have 4. Planned to hold of until next year because of some personal stuff going on. Accidentally saw chicks at Tractor Supply during chick days. My husband drug me away, but I had tears in my eyes by the time we hit the door. Why, I have no idea, I felt stupid. The next day he asked when I was getting some. Went to buy supplies, only cornish rock at the store, so back to TSC. Not a feather. Waited until Monday, back to TSC and all they had was straight run Buff Orpingtons, which I have never heard of. Knowing the feed store would have chicks on Thursday I decided to get 2 of the BO, so what if I end up with 1 rooster. Was required to buy six. Against my better judgement I bought 6. Thursday I went to feed store, they had no barred rock, but I got 3 RIR pullets. Plan for 3, end up with 9 and still minus 1 breed I wanted. It now looks like 3 or 4 of the BO are roosters. That will leave me with 5 hens. I wasn't going to have ANY roosters, but the one is so personable, I have to keep him. My coop expanded to 4 x 6, buying materials this weekend. 24 square feet, 6 birds, I'm done, right? Right? I'm having so much fun brooding chicks I cant imagine not doing it again

My favorite 99% sure he is a roo


Sue

 

[fishnet1971]

Sue,..... my friend....... you are a gonner. Beyond help. Just change your materials list and build a tajmahal ok?

somone help me..........................
I am chickless this spring.........promised I WOULD NOT get any this year... have my 11 already grown.
It just feels so WRONG not to have peeps in the spring..
Must resist pulling the car into the feed store. must resist.....

 

[Zany Chick]

Are you sure it can't be cured? I can't really afford the coop I am building. I'm going to need some form of additional income to expand later. Maybe I could bill my medical insurance, it is proving to be good therapy.....

 

[gryeyes]

Sue,..... my friend....... you are a gonner. Beyond help. Just change your materials list and build a tajmahal ok?

somone help me..........................
I am chickless this spring.........promised I WOULD NOT get any this year... have my 11 already grown.
It just feels so WRONG not to have peeps in the spring..
Must resist pulling the car into the feed store. must resist.....

Although I am not chickless, my work and commute schedule really interfered with spending quality time with my flock AND those little cotton balls with feet and a beak. So I spent almost every lunch break visiting local, nearly feral, "community" chickens with a couple miles of the office. So much so that now many of the hens and a rooster KNOW my car and will come running and squawking from across the street when I show up. Lots of hens with chicks in the group. Mamas bring their babies over. Roosters strut around all proud, letting the chicks get bits. Maybe you can find some place like that to be a surrogate Flock Mama? It sure fills a corner of the heart which waits for chicks to love. (Yesterday I noticed some mama-less chicks, far too young to be without one, so I fed them the most. I so wanted to snag them and take them home, because very few of the feral chicks actually get to grow up...)