DO count your chickens

[gritsar]

I used to go crazy trying to count my chickens, especially when I had more than I have now. Then one day, eureka! I have 5 buffs, 4 lights and 5 darks, including my roo. 'Whole lot easier than trying to count them all as a group.

 

[rocmoc]

Grew up on a farm in Kansas. Did worry about them then and don't now. Of course we are not attached to our chickens as pets but as working animals. If they become too much trouble, it just isn't worth it. Now my cat is a different story, he is by my side most of the day.

rocmoc n AZ

 

[mstricer]

I have to admit I only count to make sure all the babies went in, just introducing 15 and 16 wk olds to coop with big girls some times
big meanies chase babies right back out till it gets dark and shes tired so I make sure their all in there.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
LOL!!! Good one! Don't count your chickens before they're latched!!

 

[juliecox]

My chickens are so dang fast! I go to coop them up and there is inevitably one out carousing, that I have to go chasing around the yard. Even if I wait later, inevitably the Silkie has decided to get OUT of the coop and go huddle in some corner. Dang it, sillies, go HOME! Are you too good for your home?!

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

We always loose count at about 90. We have 3 that like to get on top of the coop door that we have to move to a roost, one that likes to get up on a wooden structure by the coop and old Grandma who likes to switch between the big coop and the banties coop. So, we figure if those 5 are placed into the coops at night then we are doing pretty good.

 

[fldiver97]

Last week I was sure I 'lost a chicken'...I have 6. Five were roosting; Louise, the ringleader was missing. So I searched every corner of the coop, the run, nestboxes and counted 3 times. Out to get the huge flashlight I used for scubadiving at night and I searched the yard. Nothing inside the yard.....Went out back and along the fence and shrubs and trees....nothing. So I searched for about 30 minutes, expecting to hear our resident pack of coyotes anytime. Went back in the cop to count - yep, still only 5.....

Stood for a moment, thinking that all of them followed me in the coop before dark and were getting BOSS as their bedtime treat. Possible that she got out in the run before I closed the popdoor but the run is covered and fully enclosed and the door was shut. Now I am getting even more worried, crouch and check every nestbox and hiding spot in the coop and run again. Still no Louise. I am standing in the coop getting really frustrated.....As I am debating to ask the neighbors to help search for her I hear this really soft noise over my head... Here is chicken #6 , roosting dead center under the roof of the shed. She had never been up this high and usually is a chatterbox. She never made a peep. Silly bird, now I know ALL the places to look. She has no been up there again though

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I used to count but I gave up now. I just make sure our favorites are all accounted for and most of the laying hens. ALWAYS the ducks and geese. And I keep hoping I would have one or two BS turkeys missing but Noooooo they coop up at night with the ducks and geese.

 

[NellaBean]

Yep, I always count at night. Sometimes if it is early and they are still "settling in" for the night, I end up having to count colors.....17 chickens is a lot to count when they are moving around!

My dad was visiting and did nightly chicken lock up for me one time. He called from the coop on his cell phone and said he couldn't find all the chickens. He counted, 16 twice and 15 once. LOL. I told him to count again and look closely in the corner as they sometimes will pile on the table.

He called back a few minutes later and said he still only counted 16 chickens....but 17 heads.

One was piled up behind the others in the corner and only her little head was showing. When he recounted he realized he had been counting a two headed chicken all along.

 

[AkTomboy]

Quote:
Yep Yep thats now I do mine also. I know how many of what color I have