Explaining Chicken Math

[BullChick]

I posted this in another thread, before I got the chicks today. But here is about how it goes for me.

I used to have chickens, so I have an idea of what I wanted. I knew someone who had chicks of the breed I like and I exchanged labor for birds. Our initial agreement was 12 chicks for the labor I provided. This was a few days prior to the work. The day I did the work, as I left, they said "So you wanted 20 chicks, right?" So chicken math has begun, not even by me. Today I went to pick up my chicks. I'm greeted by a "would you mind taking 30?"

Well story short, I got a lot more birds than anticipated. But I am not going to deny the fact that I enjoyed receiving more birds than expected. I'm really quite pleased because it means that next year I will most certainly have about 50... or 70, give or probably not take 200.

Too true!

 

[CyndiChick]

LOL I currently have 2 brooder boxes in my bedroom closet (big walkin with dressers built in, now covered by two brooder boxes) so I guess I'm more into chickens than I thought I was! I even told the hubby he'd just have to deal with the back ache because the heating pad was on top of the brooder til my second heat lamp gets here. Thank goodness he loves the chickens too and understood (well, once I gave him a back massage, he understood!) We are now at 21 chicks (14 hens, 7 roos) in brooders still, and 10 outside in the main coop or a breeding pen. And I already want more LOL

 

[magnumrebel]

I thought i was a redneck but you got me beat. Lol

 

[Highland Hens]

Chicken math happens to guys as well. I Decided to get some new laying hens this year and retire our old hens to mother in laws ranch. Wanted to get a variety planned on 2 br, 2 r r, 2 ac, 2 bo. I knew that there might be a chance some would die so I got extra just in case. Then got to thinking we needed some meat chicks as well. And then started looking into all the other rare breeds. And then some of the chicks got sick and one died, so to play it safe got even more as a back up. So in total we have about 45 chickens and only wanted 8 laying hens. Things are crazy now, you open a door here there are chicks, you open anouther door there and there are chicks, you try to walk around and chickens are following you. I got to say I love it but I will need to go through with retiring the old hens to mother in laws, and butchering the rest or else, if I left it like this the neighbors would start calling me the crazy chicken man. I am just glad that I don't have a problem at butchering as some do or I would be in real trouble lol.

 

[CyndiChick]

LOL I am a redneck! I actually have a sign on my front gate that says "This property guarded by shotgun 3 nights a week. You better hope you picked the right night." And have been known to say things like "don't step on the snake, he keeps the squirrels away from the chicken coop" Heehee
Working on housing for all the babies when they grow up.... Trying to turn another breeding pen into Alcatraz (the other is already fort knox!) and then going to be building an actual brooder, so I can stop using totes with poultry netting on them!

 

[Lynnette]

my husband is making me a bigger brooder as i type this. my 9 chicks n 6 ginueas r getting HUGE n the 50 gallon tote is getting way to small.The barn isnt coming for another 1 1/2 wks n we need to retro fit it before they move in.

 

[LTygress]

<--- Six from TSC. Then an incubator...

One order from McMurray Hatchery, a bantam pair "gift" from a friend, a BYC order for silkie eggs, and a BYC order for frizzle polish later, I've got 42 chickens with 78 eggs either in the incubator or underneath a broody....

With plans to keep ALMOST all of them.

 

[magnumrebel]

Chicken math also includes mass as well as multiplication! I way underestimated the growth rates of these rascals and now what was once tons of space in two weeks has turned in to cramped quarters. Now i have to put an addition on my brooder box and no doubt my next batch i will say " i have lots of room i should probably get 50 this time" stupid math!

 

[CyndiChick]

Yeah... I often forget the mass. And saying we have a 14 ft long by 16 ft wide coop that is 9feet high makes it sound enormous to me.... especially when we add in fort knox and alcatraz on the sides. But when I think about the fact that I now have 31 chickens.... I'm already eyeballing the coop to see where addin on more would work best! LOL

 

[magnumrebel]

Maybe having them in the bedroom closet is not such a bad idea after all. But at this rate i will have to put them in every closet in the house. Lol