Counting your chickens

[Chikyboy]

Two roosters, 19 hens and two chicks. Probably Gonna keep all the hens, Gonna keep my rooster for the main, mixed breed flock. Unfortunately might get rid of my other rooster, who is a bantam Cochin. The reason why I'm getting rid of him is because he has vulture hocks, and I want to breed high or at least good quality bantam Cochins. The two chicks are his, and they also both have vulture hocks. I might put them in my all hen flock, depending on their genders.

 

[RisingPhoenixFarms]

1 hen, 17 pullets, 1 rooster, 2 pekin drakes and 7 pekin hens. I plan to keep all through the winter.

It generally fluctuates each summer but tends to hover around the 30 mark by the time winter rolls around.

 

[alwaystj9]

Two roosters, 19 hens and two chicks. Probably Gonna keep all the hens, Gonna keep my rooster for the main, mixed breed flock. Unfortunately might get rid of my other rooster, who is a bantam Cochin. The reason why I'm getting rid of him is because he has vulture hocks, and I want to breed high or at least good quality bantam Cochins. The two chicks are his, and they also both have vulture hocks. I might put them in my all hen flock, depending on their genders.

Now I have to go look up vulture hocks

 

[Ponypoor]

We have 39 girls now but plan on only keeping about 20 of them. All of this years chick's, 1 that is a big Buff and still lays extra jumbo eggs, and if last years chick's. It's hard though, we just moved and planned on culling the older ladies before the move but just couldn't do it. As of now they a the tick and bug control but reality says feeding the non producers during winter isn't a smart move. Haven't ever had to cull a flock, either they died naturally of became fox food.
Where we are now selling off the eggs doesn't seem to be something we'll be able to do as easily as our previous home so I believe just reducing the flock to have enough eggs for us will be our goal.

That must have been a hard decision

 

[Ponypoor]

I have had several Silkie Roos that were “unpleasant” so they became soup. I’m not tolerant of intolerant roosters. I’ve got two “good” Silkie roosters now.
I’ve got a dozen or so gals that are laying green or blue eggs and have them segregated with same breed roosters (plan to move some roosters to different coops or soup pot as I have too many boys for the number of girls).
My two main roosters - one Bielefelder and one Barred Rock - are trying to teach the other youngsters manners and are more effective than I’ll ever be! Hoping to get down to 10 good roosters, 80ish hens, 12 Silkies and 3 ducks. Maybe less. ***Disclaimer: Subject to chicken math. ***

Wow! And I thought my 29-ish was a lot.

 

[winterwolf4]

I currently have 43 total chickens.
22 Self Blue Ameracaunas
3 Purebred Bielefelder hens
3 Bielefelder x Ameracauna Laying Hens
8 Easter Egger Roosters (for food)
1 Black Easter Egger Rooster (Breeding to Bielefelder hens)
1 Olive Egger Rooster (Breeding to Bielefelder hens.)
1 Aracauna White Rooster (7 to 8 years old) (We think he is infertile)
4 Dark Brahma Pullets


Plans for this winter: 35 total for this winter
8 roosters to be eaten

Pen 1: 22
22 self Blue Ameracaunas for breeding to sell chicks

Pen 2: 13
6 Bielefelder & Bielefelder crosses for my son's school project.
2 roosters for the school project EE & OE

1 retired Rooster that will live out his days as our beloved pet

4 Dark Brahma pullets for winter layers

 

[Jangela]

I currently have 83 chickens 12 two week old chicks , 22 roosters and 49 hens

 

[alwaystj9]

I just thought that I had a bunch at 30+ chickens. I am surprised at how many BYC-ers have way more than a small farm flock. Some people are blaming their numbers on chicken math but many of y'all have 40 head or more!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I have 7, 4 of which were raised as house chickens for 1-2 years (2 d'uccles, one bantam cochin, one polish), so they are so loving and cuddly.

I call the outside raised ones the "wild" ones (silkie, polkie, tolbunt polish). Of course they hang around my feet to trip me, but just don't nap on my lap like the others.

And im continually counting them, it's like I'm obsessed! I look for each BFF pair, and then grumpy Elsa


My bunch of monkeys . One straggler black polkie missing from the pic.

 

[RedwoodCoastChick]

Chicken newby this year, I have 8 pullets with 2 not yet laying (first blue egg yesterday, everyone else is laying shades of brown). I'm so fond of all my girls and love watching their personalities and hierarchy develop. We're having our first serious rain of the season here in the temperate redwood rainforest and they are NOT best pleased (summers here are very dry). I covered their secure run with translucent tarp so it's dry and there's daylight, but I can't see clearly who's out of the coop from my office window. Only Pauline the Buff Orpington (the boss girl) has come outside into the big day run to poke around when the rain slows to drizzle. It's gonna be Poop City in the coop by tomorrow morning when the rain's supposed to let up enough for me to go clean them out.

"Eight is enough", we're inundated with eggs already, but these girls are my pets-with-benefits for as long as they live.

In pecking order: Pauline the Buff, Jill the Delaware, Sheila the Black Australorp, Rhonda the Rhode Island Red, Xenobia/Xena the Plymouth Barred Rock, Martha the Whiting's True Blue, and 7-week-younger Easter Egger "sisters" Edna and Elsie.

I do check on everyone when they troop into the coop for the night - I can't imagine trying to count 25 and up every night!