Chicken Math

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Planned on 2 or 3 bantams since we have such a small coop right now, had plans to get more once we convert our shed into a big coop.
Got 2 silkies & a sebright, all 3 months old...1 silkie died within a week: 2.

Breeder offered to replace silkie with a day old silkie chick, planned on buying a second chick so it wouldn't be lonely...breeder last minute offered an ayam cemani to go with the silkie chick. Went to feed store to pick up these two chicks: ended up with 4 (only 1 bantam).

Grand total now: 6...
Working very fast to get our big coop set up by the time the 4 chicks are old enough! lol

And that's how chicken maths starts.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Lucky for me I have the same issue! Secretly I adore ducks and fear the future if i let myself have even one!

I think of myself as winning at chicken math since i rehomed three pullets. But i like to forget i bought 16 bobwhites on the way home!

Classic case of chicken math, yeah I would hate to see if there is a such thing as duck math lol.

 

[Willowspirit]

Classic case of chicken math, yeah I would hate to see if there is a such thing as duck math lol.

Who could have just one??

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Who could have just one??

That's how chicken math starts I would be just as bad with cute little baby ducklings!

 

[Willowspirit]

That's how chicken math starts I would be just as bad with cute little baby ducklings!

Exactly!

 

[harmonyp]

I bought 6 pullet chicks 7 years ago. I lost 3 over the years, but still had 3 left a few months ago. I was enjoying them out in the garden with me, went into the house for a 1/2 hr, and a coyote struck out of nowhere and got all 3. I was heart-broken. 1/2 hr before I was holding Hatty in my arms, and she was looking me lovingly in the eye.

I first thought about having no chickens. Sounded right for the first few weeks, then I was pining for them so badly. I had to start over.

My math went like this:

Replace, ultimately 6. Coop comfortably would fit 10. So 8 would be a good number. But run enclosing coop would easily fit 20, plus a big enclosure surrounding that, and coop could be expanded. I landed with the number of 8. Thought I had the breeds all picked out in my head when I left the house. Somehow I picked 10. Then I saw the little barred rock chick all alone, so + 1. + 1 week to think about it - rounding for any potential loss + a few more breeds to try, added 7. Lost 1 on her day 2. Ended up with 17. 7 of those are big breeds - cochins and brahmas. FUN TIMES!!!

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I bought 6 pullet chicks 7 years ago. I lost 3 over the years, but still had 3 left a few months ago. I was enjoying them out in the garden with me, went into the house for a 1/2 hr, and a coyote struck out of nowhere and got all 3. I was heart-broken. 1/2 hr before I was holding Hatty in my arms, and she was looking me lovingly in the eye.

I first thought about having no chickens. Sounded right for the first few weeks, then I was pining for them so badly. I had to start over.

My math went like this:

Replace, ultimately 6. Coop comfortably would fit 10. So 8 would be a good number. But run enclosing coop would easily fit 20, plus a big enclosure surrounding that, and coop could be expanded. I landed with the number of 8. Thought I had the breeds all picked out in my head when I left the house. Somehow I picked 10. Then I saw the little barred rock chick all alone, so + 1. + 1 week to think about it - rounding for any potential loss + a few more breeds to try, added 7. Lost 1 on her day 2. Ended up with 17. 7 of those are big breeds - cochins and brahmas. FUN TIMES!!!

I love you chicken math lol. That's how I was exactly! Even up to the not leaving one, went for so many and then I got to the register I had accidentally picked one extra! hubby said just get it, it was already boxed with it's friends.

 

[ZooAtHome]

When I built my coop last summer, I intended to get half a dozen hens and maybe a rooster. Then I read that you need to have about 10 hens per rooster, so when I placed my special order at my local store, I ordered 10 pullets and 1 cockerel.

The local store kept procrastinating their order and the hatchery was running out of the breeds I wanted, so I placed my order directly with them instead to reserve the ones I wanted. However, that meant I had to order a minimum of 15, plus they threw in a free one making it 16 ... which was really too many for the coop I built, but what's a gal to do?

Then I popped into a not-so-local farm store and saw almost all the breeds I wanted, looking incredibly adorable. Told myself that if I cancelled my online order (still weeks from being filled and not yet billed), I could grab only 10 right then at the store. Which I did. Except they didn't have any Golden Laced Wyandottes, which topped my wishlist, so I drove to another not-so-local store to get a couple of those.

Ended up with an even dozen, so twice what I had originally planned, but less than I had ordered online.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

When I built my coop last summer, I intended to get half a dozen hens and maybe a rooster. Then I read that you need to have about 10 hens per rooster, so when I placed my special order at my local store, I ordered 10 pullets and 1 cockerel.

The local store kept procrastinating their order and the hatchery was running out of the breeds I wanted, so I placed my order directly with them instead to reserve the ones I wanted. However, that meant I had to order a minimum of 15, plus they threw in a free one making it 16 ... which was really too many for the coop I built, but what's a gal to do?

Then I popped into a not-so-local farm store and saw almost all the breeds I wanted, looking incredibly adorable. Told myself that if I cancelled my online order (still weeks from being filled and not yet billed), I could grab only 10 right then at the store. Which I did. Except they didn't have any Golden Laced Wyandottes, which topped my wishlist, so I drove to another not-so-local store to get a couple of those.

Ended up with an even dozen, so twice what I had originally planned, but less than I had ordered online.

Dang I need to use that "one rooster needs 10 hens". Nope I'm at 9 hens won't work to get me more!

 

[Aunt Angus]

There are several posts from my early days on BYC where I SWORE up and down I'd only have the 4 I started with.

Well, my BO went broody, and I didn't have the heart to let her set all those long, long hours without something coming of it. So I got her a chick to adopt. So 4+1=5.

But silkies are soooooo cute! All these pics on BYC.... I just have to have one. So I ordered two. Can't just get one, right? But if there are only 2 bantam and 5 standards, they'd be way outnumbered. Better get 3. Husband said I could only get 2, but I will just tell him the hatchery sent an extra. So 5+2+1=8.

But I have so much room for another coop and so many breeds I don't have: Orloff, d'Uccle, Wyandotte, Sussex, Legbar, Japanese Bantam, Ayam Cemani....

So much for only having 4!