Chicken Math?

[harmona1]

Glad I'm not the only one! I'd wanted laying chickens for years, and finally decided to get 4, 2-wk old chicks (2 EE's, 2 Red Stars). Happen to be browsing craigslist and see someone selling 4-5 month old black Orp pullets. "Ooh, those are pretty," I think. And I justify it because they're going to start laying much sooner than my chicks! So I come home with one healthy Orp, one with a bad leg, and one with 2 bad legs (cause I'm a sucker for pitiful animals). So we're up to 7. One of my EE chicks gets killed by a dog, and the paralyzed Orp dies, leaving me with 5. Then I start to think that I should get something that lays dark brown eggs. So I find someone who has Cuckoo Marans, and I go to buy 2. We're chatting, and I mention I love the EE's. He offers 2 chicks, but I need to be sure they're female, so he offers me his one EE hen! OK, now I'm up to 8. Months later, something gets into my chicken pen and eats my precious black Orp with the bad leg. Down to 7. Then I happen to walk into Rural King last month for feed (don't usually buy there) and they have chicks! So I decide I should have an even 10 hens, but you have to buy at least 10 chicks. I decide I'll sell the extras. So I add 4 EE's, 4 silver-lcaed Wyandottes, and 2 (alleged) buff Orps. 17 chickens now! On Mother's Day, one of my original babies, a Red Star, and one of my absolute favorite hens, somehow ends up in the neighbor dog's mouth. Down to 6 hens, 10 chicks. At the rate I'm going, it's a good thing I got so many chicks because I'm running out of hens.

PS- So now I know that buff Orp chicks are not black. Wish I'd known that when I bought them!!! So now I have 2 unknown chicks, black with gold streaks down the middle of the feathers. They're pretty neat-looking, just wish I knew what they were. Apparently I have to post a few more times before I'm allowed to put up pics, so they'll be coming eventually!

~Andrea

 

[CowgirlPenny]

My chicken math is bad....bad.

We wanted to get 6 chicks to raise as hens for eggs.

But we ordered 12 incase some died (our first attempt at raising chicks!) or they ended up being males. But luckily all 12 were girls, and super healthy. Then I got three Ameracuanas, then three Buff Orpingtons, then a Mille Fleur d'Uccle, and two Porcelain d'Uccles. Then the three d'uccles seemed lonely in the brooder and today the Co-op just HAPPENED to have Silver Laced Wyandottes. So I got two. lol


So 12+3+3+1+2+2=23


I've told my husband many times that as they get older we will weed some out as they start to lay if they are aggressive or don't lay well but truth be told I want to keep them all! lol

 

[AZSummer]

I'm not quite sure how bad my math is yet, but I definately haven't mastered chicken math.

I've wanted chickens for a while. DH finally agreed 3 weeks ago. He was thinking 6. I was worried about some dying and being mis-sexed and they had 4 different breeds of pullets so we got 2 of each (Ameraucana, BO, BR, & RIR; 8). Went back a few days later - I don't even remember why now - and came home with a frizzle the same age as the other girls (9). One BR passed (8). Last week I was told they were supposed to get silkies in. <3 SILKIES! It turns out the girl was wrong. They were getting Polish in. Just as good! I was just going to get 2. I actually called first thing in the morning and left school when they arrived to go to the feed store. I bought 3 (11). They're now a week old.

I still don't have the coop built and now we're talking about moving so I really don't have the room for more... And the last time I was there I found out the Polish were a straight run. I may have a roo or two. If we don't move, I'll have to rehome the roos. And I don't know if the frizzle was a straight run or not. I swore the sign said pullet but I just don't know. Darn. So I'm at 11 minus for now... unless I make sure I buy a week old to go in with the Polish. And the last time I was there they had Delewares that were a week old! DH firmly said "NO MORE!" Okay. He's right. I snuck in the Polish. I can't sneak in another batch. He's watching too closely and the kids have big mouths...

So now I'm picking out what to incubate next year. So far, I think chocolate and olive egg layers would be fun. Maybe a couple more EEs as well. And I love the look of the lavender orps. And I still don't have a silkie. Oh, and if we move, I want guinea fowl. They don't count toward chicken math if they're for snake control, do they?

 

[GoodLuckCharlie!]

Very fun sharing, thanks everyone!

 

[Zonoma]

Quote:
That's what I did, too. When Husband said, "Why did you get so many?!" I said, "Because about half will probably die or be roosters!" Apparently, we got very healthy chicks because we haven't lost any and Husband glares at me when he thinks I'm not looking and mutters things like, "I love grilled chicken."

 

[chickenrperch]

Okay I knew nothing of chicken math. I inherited 5 hens and 3 roos when my husband and I took over his mother’s ranch. I never thought about owning a chicken but fell in love with their personalities very quickly and even had them named with in the first week. I was very happy with 8 chickens...then I read how if the hen to roo ration was not proportionate the ladies would get no rest. So being that I was in love the only solution was to get a few more hens. We live in the country so space was not an issue. We were free range. I began the hunt for hens and suddenly all my chickens started to disappear. Turns out there was an owl hunting in my front yard. Well when chick season started at the local feed store I couldn’t resist taking a peek at the new babies. Mistake. I went home with 4 Bantams. I thought okay I’m good. 2 died so my daughter and I decided to go and get a few more. My husband informed me that chicks have a high mortality rate so a few turned into 10 plus 4 turkeys, all survived. One pullet became a roo. We allowed them to free range in the day and put them in the barn at night. Over the winter we did very well but in Texas we had the worst summer in forever so we lost a few hens to heat and then we had a barn cat go nuts and ate a few. 12 down to 6, lost the roo to a dog. So chick days rolls around at the TSC, and we get a few (12) and called that done. Except that we needed fly spray for the horses and ended up back at TSC where my daughter noticed a sign that said we could get 20 chicks for $20, a little “Daddy, Please?” and now we have 32 chicks and 2 more turkeys. Hopefully pullets stay pullets. Anyone know how to sell eggs?

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I started with 5, got 5 as a gift, then 11 more chicks, the hen had six, lost one to an owl,2to a feral cat, 10roos went to freezer camp,gave one roo to a neighbor, lost a roo and hen to a hawk, lost a hen to a coyote or wolf, the roo lost his tail,bought 6 pullets, have 2 hens on 30 eggs, thats 18.The coop is 8x8 and it's time to add on...esp since they are going broody already!

 

[bairo]

Coop math

Take the space you think you want
Double that just to future proof it
Dig into the money hiding place to add a few more feet ( your husband will like that you thought of a place to store his tools, after all )
Tell husband to dig into his money hiding place (toolbox) to add yet a few more feet for the garden tools as well. Tell husband that you are trying to be organized and keep all the stuff in one place.

Now when they start on it just keep saying over and over "I thought it would be bigger" He will make it a few more feet bigger just to shut you up.

Now you have the coop you need (or will need, you just dont know it yet)

Trust me.. I have a 12 x 20 and would like to build another (for my tools mind you)