Do you count your chickens before bed?

[aart]

I find them much easier to count well after dark when I lock up.
Have had up to 38, during spring summer after hatching time, but in two sections of coop.
I'd never have more chickens than I could count.

 

[pibb]

I count mine at night but I only have 8 plus some pullets I'm brooding. I don't quit counting until they are all accounted for. Why would anyone count part of them and quit?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I count, and then recount lol. I have eleven adults in the coop and two babies. I lift mama to count her babies then count the adults. Five in the brooder. The one night I decided not to count because I was tired, one hen turned up missing in the morning. Turns out she decided to go broody on a hidden stash of eggs. She survived, but it was a mistake I vowed I wouldn't make again. I met a woman once who had 3 coops, over 50 chickens, and over 100 ducks. She said she never locked them up without a headcount. I'm still mind boggled over trying to count than many poultry!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I have around 30 and I count still. I didn't do a full count last night and two got left out. Almost got gotten by raccoons. Bad me! Usually I do a full count by breaking them into groups and counting groups (Four australorps, two leghorns, one rooster, 10 hens, 8 pullets, 6 cockerels) but they're getting hard to see them all....

 

[Chicken Heel]

For me it was when I had a flock that exceeded 100 and ultimately I ended up with 142.

My current count mature bird count is at 18 large breed hens and 1 Black Australorp rooster along with 16 bantam hens and 1 rooster. But I did add 10 bantam chicks from my local TSC over the weekend. I had been steadfast in not succumbing to the baby chick allure in all my previous trips there this spring but destiny intervened. On Saturday, I had stopped by for dog and cat food and flea treatments and lo and behold there was a bin of bantams mixed with ISA Brown pullets. I resisted the urge then but on Sunday I dropped back by the store and there were still 10 bantams left and that was it for me. They are doing well and 7 are feather legged and 3 are clean legged. It will be fun finding out what they are although I know two are OEG and most of the feather legged are Cochins. I have always had a weakness for baby chicks that goes back about 55 years.

 

[Mouthpear]

I used to go and say good night to the flock and yes count. But I no longer have them. They were taken by vagerants that loiter in the lot behind my property.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I have to count in groups too. Six of last years pullets, five of this years, two “originals”, four from the “broody bunch” and one white rooster. It’s the only way I can keep track!

 

[HodgesHappyHens]

I too count in groups. 1 Delaware 6 Buffs 4 RIR 7 black sexlinks 9 brown sexlinks. Then followed by a count/search for any unwanted critters in the secure run and coop before locking up for the night.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

I was talking about how many hens you would have before you gave up, like if you had 50 or more hens in one pen.

 

[Folly's place]

It may take up to three counts to get the right number...
Mary