Chicken math

[Tatiana110]

We wanted to keep 12 hens, and just in 2 short months we ended up with 38 chicks and 15 Muscovy ducklings.

Something tells me that is not the end of this, LOL.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Someone earlier said that 1 year is 100 in Chicken Math. Year one saw us begin with 25 (not all were ours) the end of that Spring and three mail orders later we were at around 100 (including meaties). By year 2 we had 45 in the main flock. Well going on the 4th year in we are down to an average of 30 to 50 at any given time, and adding pens all the time. I discovered the joy of the rare breeds and all the fun genetics. I am eagerly awaiting my Scots Dumpys in the Summer, and dream of creating a Dumpy Easter Egger. So Chicken Math has become Chicken Science 101 (not surprising to this Science buff).

 

[IzziesChickies]

I was going to get around twenty chicks and ended up with about 80

our layingflock has grown yet again!

 

[kristaschics15]

My math totally stinks and I have an engineering degree with a math minor. It should be easy right?? Nope. I wanted 2. 2! Total. Decided I would get 3 in case something happened to one the other wouldn't be alone. Came home with 5.... Because I mean the chances of at least one being a Roo was pretty high right? And I really want a bantam. lol. So I'm already looking to add..

 

[21hens-incharge]

My math totally stinks and I have an engineering degree with a math minor. It should be easy right?? Nope. I wanted 2. 2! Total. Decided I would get 3 in case something happened to one the other wouldn't be alone. Came home with 5.... Because I mean the chances of at least one being a Roo was pretty high right? And I really want a bantam. lol. So I'm already looking to add..

Multiplication is more fun.
I wanted 6 just 6 of one breed............years pass................still not finding 6 of the desired breed...............time and chickens later.........There are 42 and only 3 of the desired breed..........2 of those are now old and ready for retirement or butchering...........THAT means I now will have only 1 of the desired breed but there will still be 40 chickens.............I really need to let the broody bantam raise a couple of the desired breed so the madness can stop.

 

[flock mama]

Our first 6 babies and 25 more on the way lol.

 

[Americano Blue]

When I first came to this forum, I was thinking, how hard is it to get chickens and do simple math? I started out wanting to get 6 chickens, 3 rir's and 3 bo's, which I am still waiting to pick up next Fri. So then I found a guy down the road from me that has some barred rock's and some wyandonette's. I only wanted 6, mind you, but now it's looking more like 10-12 of them, and I havent even got started yet. If it's this hard to just get started, I can imagine how it would be for most of you that are already raising them. I will say that 12 will be my definite limit.....so far.

Got to love chicken math

 

[csaylorchickens]

Well you get a few chicks to raise so you can get fresh eggs. You go to BYC and learn all about chickens. You find out that they lay pretty well the first year but then the second fall they molt and don't lay as well so the next spring you have to have a few new pullets so they can lay eggs while the others molt. Then one hen won't get off the nest and you go to BYC and find she is broody and you see all those wonderful pics of moms and babies. You certainly can't deny your broody girl motherhood, so you let her set. You go on BYC and find out that sometimes they up and quit setting prematurely and folks just stick the eggs in their incubator. Well, you don't have an incubator. So, you study about incubators on BYC. You decide what you can afford and you buy or build one. BUT..,,will it work? You need to get some eggs and try it out. You hatch those little guys and it is so exciting! That is my chicken math and I think I might have to blame BYC. Can't be my own inabilities of self denial.

I second this!

 

[Outpost JWB]

Welcome to all the new chicken people! Looks like you are all catching on quickly to chicken math!

Here is my story.....................
2 years ago DH & I bought this fixer upper house on 3 acres. We decided we would get a "few" chickens for meat and eggs. He met up with a farmer lady who sold us 6 laying hens. We mentioned to her that we would also like a rooster if she comes across one or has any extras. About a month later, she calls and said she has acquired 2 roosters, but we have to take both because she doesn't need any. (She got them for us, so we felt obligated to take both.) 8 chickens...
So, since we had roosters now to fertilize the eggs, it would be awesome to share the experience of baby chicks with my daughter.....YEAP! Borrowed an incubator, hatched out 1 batch, then figured since I was "learning" the 2nd batch will have a better hatch rate, which it did. No idea how many chickens we are up to at this point.............

Then months later, the original farmer lady calls back and tells DH that she can no longer care for the chickens due to a physical illness & wanted to know if we wanted them before she calls animal shelter to come and get them. Of course we can take those chickens. It's just 30 more. Through the years we have incubated more eggs, had hawks, owls, feral cats, a dog, and raccoons pick off some of them; we have butchered some of the roosters; and done research on chickens, picking out and purchasing the ones I actually want................ well, chicken math happens.

Today I have a comfortable 109. That is today. I'll be setting more eggs at the end of this month.

 

[Clucksandgiggle]