Explaining Chicken Math

[BullChick]

2 more have arrived at my house....I don't know how they got here

Suuuure! They must have sneaked in while you were doing laundry.

 

[what did I do]

I have become a victim of cosmic chicken math.

I had 7 laying chickens who aren't really laying, so I said that I wanted to replace them.

I ended up with 12 red layers from TSC plus 8 meaties (which my SIL didn't know were meaties) because the meaties were on sale.

I then stated I wanted dual purpose plus a couple that I could use to brood dorking eggs in addition to my 2 dorkings that I fell in love with (plus the accompanying rooster)

Those breeds need to be purchased from the hatchery in groups of 5 - I ordered 25 chickens 5 brahmas, 5 black cochin, 5 dominique, 5 Barred rocks,and 5 SLW.

Initially given a hatch date, then called to advise a different hatch date.

Post office calls after original hatch date - they have chicks. 29 from that order on a Friday.

hatchery calls the following Monday to tell me they are putting my chicks on a truck.  I advise them I already have my chicks.  They inform me they are removing them from the truck.

Post office calls Wednesday - they have chicks.  I call the hatchery.

Apparently through some glitch they were actually going to ship me about 75 chicks. Instead I got 55.

Total chickens - 85 -  7 retiring layers, 6 meaties ready for departure, 12 red layers 8 weeks, 2 dorking hens, 2 dorking roos, 1 polish because she makes me laugh, 11 Brahma, 11 cochin, 22 dominique/BR because I can't tell at this point as only one of the orders marked them, and 11 SLW. 

Also 1 swedish blue and 1 runner duck.

I've decided to pass on getting turkeys this year...

 

Oh my, can you care for all the extra chicks? If that happened to me I'd be just fine with it but not everyone can care for that many chicks.

 

[what did I do]

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.

Sounds to me like you need an incubator - that is the fastest way to end up with 200 chickens. Do . Not ask me how I know this

 

[BullChick]

Quote:

How do you know??

 

[what did I do]

How do you know??

Ok, Ok, Ok... We went to the store for 15 chicks, came home with 60, 35 hens and 25 meaties and some new farm equipment. Everything was good. We loved the chicks. That was fine for that year. The next spring rolls around and I think an incubator would teach the kids a lot. One incubator and the neighbors barred rock eggs. All went well with the hatches and people bought the chicks. We needed chicks for the fair to sell and we sold to many so we had to hatch more. Once we hatched 3 incubators full of barred rock chicks we decided to branch out from there. We went on vacation to Calif and picked up Trader Joe's fertile eggs. We only had 7 of the TJ eggs hatch but that's not bad considering what they went through to get here. Then we had a broody. She hatched some of the eggs.from the barred rock rooster, my aviator pic. We were going into winter with way to many chickens so we sold some. We made good money off the older pullets. We kept 60ish chickens and 2 roosters. This year we have hatched one incubator of eggs from our own hens. One rooster wasn't doing his job so we had a number of clear eggs. We ended up with 20 chicks but we went to town and bought 2 from Big R and 2 bantams from another store - We had chicks at home that is why they sold us so few chicks. We wanted a Buff Orpington Rooster and it looks like we got one. We ordered chicks from a hatchery this week, Just A Few, ya know, 65 hens - What Did I Do - LOL. We need to re-home the older hens this fall. But since we will have a buff orpington rooster we will have to keep the buff orpington hens even if they are older. We ordered white orpington chicks. So, by tomorrow we will have 60 older hens, 24 older chicks, 6, 3 week old chicks, and 69 new chicks - they are sending 4 special ones for free. That is just 170 chicks/chickens (you always round up with chickens) I'm trying to decide if we should hatch another bator full of eggs. Those darn chicks are just so cute. The thing is, you can't count the ones that aren't laying eggs and I'm only getting 40 eggs a day. That means I only have 40 chickens.

 

[LTygress]

HAHAHA!
Only 40 chickens! I wish...

I bet they don't EAT like 40 chickens, though! But I sure am glad that chick and egg sales can defray that cost for me!


I just sold five today. One was actually a rooster that I didn't want and really wanted to get rid of, so I let him go for free. Then I went out immediately after that... and bought more feed!

Last time I counted, I had 108 expected or already here. But selling off those five plus four infertile eggs has left me with 99. Yes, I count my chickens before they hatch, because that is more mouths to feed! I'm most eager for these frizzle to hatch, grow, and start producing. They are in EXTREMELY high demand here, so selling those chicks and hatching eggs just MIGHT sustain my flock's feed cost during fall and winter! And that's not including the cost involved in raising them to that point, lol!

 

[BakinInAZ]

We don't want IRS to know anything about chicken math!

 

[LTygress]

Actually, we probably do. We'd be posting losses every year! Lower tax rates!

 

[rkalgren]

I also have been banned.

 

[BScott03]

HAHAHA!

Only 40 chickens! I wish...


I bet they don't EAT like 40 chickens, though! But I sure am glad that chick and egg sales can defray that cost for me!



I just sold five today. One was actually a rooster that I didn't want and really wanted to get rid of, so I let him go for free. Then I went out immediately after that... and bought more feed!


Last time I counted, I had 108 expected or already here. But selling off those five plus four infertile eggs has left me with 99. Yes, I count my chickens before they hatch, because that is more mouths to feed! I'm most eager for these frizzle to hatch, grow, and start producing. They are in EXTREMELY high demand here, so selling those chicks and hatching eggs just MIGHT sustain my flock's feed cost during fall and winter! And that's not including the cost involved in raising them to that point, lol!

 

Where are you located? I'm dying to get my hands on some Frizzles