Explaining Chicken Math

[SoManyHats]

I fear I might be becoming a victim of this chicken math. We were going to get chicks in the spring, but then I thought it would be a good idea to get pullets now so we could get a few eggs over the winter and they could scratch up the area I want to make a new garden in the spring. Got six and told hubby I still want chicks in the spring. Our girls are scared to come out of the coop unless someone is out there with them, so we started talking about getting a rooster. Then just today we were looking at all the area I want scratched up for the garden and I mentioned the six hens probably couldn't take care of it by spring. So hubby suggested we get more chickens now!

 

[afarhat8]

to somanyhats, lordy, lordy, with a husband that is not only an enabler, but an encourager, i hope you have several coops built. you'll need them come spring.

 

[SoManyHats]

[/I]

to somanyhats, lordy, lordy, with a husband that is not only an enabler, but an encourager, i hope you have several coops built.  you'll need them come spring.

That's what I'm afraid of! ... And a little excited about!

 

[Maggiesdad]

I fear I might be becoming a victim of this chicken math. We were going to get chicks in the spring, but then I thought it would be a good idea to get pullets now so we could get a few eggs over the winter and they could scratch up the area I want to make a new garden in the spring. Got six and told hubby I still want chicks in the spring. Our girls are scared to come out of the coop unless someone is out there with them, so we started talking about getting a rooster. Then just today we were looking at all the area I want scratched up for the garden and I mentioned the six hens probably couldn't take care of it by spring. So hubby suggested we get more chickens now!

It would be cheaper just to get a nice tiller!

 

[SoManyHats]

  It would be cheaper just to get a nice tiller! 

Probably. But certainly not as fun!

 

[afarhat8]

to maggiesdad: if you look at somanyhats' first post, she's only had her chickens for a short time, and she's already calling them "our girls". poor baby doesn't have a chance of getting out of chicken math, tiller or not.

 

[SoManyHats]

to maggiesdad:   if you look at somanyhats' first post, she's only had her chickens for a short time, and she's already calling them "our girls".  poor baby doesn't have a chance of getting out of chicken math, tiller or not.  

Oh, he knows... He's the one who sold them to me!

 

[Katt66]

I've been hearing reference to this "chicken math" thingy. Didn't fully understand it until recently.


Wanted 3 to 4 EE hens so I could have lovely blue and green eggs to give to friends as a novelty. We incubated a dozen eggs. Four hatched. Of those we kept three, my niece kept the fourth. All of ours turned out to be roos. So we incubated another eight eggs. Two hatched, again, both roos So we now had FIVE roosters. I decided to wait to spring and buy some pullets. Sent four of the roos back to my Aunt's. Kept one because he's a crossbeak and my daughter's darling. To ease my dismay till spring and I can buy EE pullets from the feed store, I bought some 3 to 4 month old chicks. A Buff Orpington, Black Orpington, White Leghorn, Gold Sebright, and Silver Sebright. Bringing my grand total to Six, which is double what I originally wanted to begin with. Then a month ago 'da Hubby discovered that not only are there chickens that lay glorious dark chocolate brown eggs, you can actually ORDER these elusive creatures ONLINE. AND they'll SHIP them right to you. So we order Cackle Hatchery's minimum of fifteen pullets, 5 each of Easter Eggers, Welsummers (those dark brown speckled eggs are going to be soooo lovely in the spring), and Speckled Sussex. Intending to keep one of each and give the rest to my Aunt as she's got room to spare. So the chicks come in the mail yesterday. All alive and peeping hungrily. Daughter one claims a mahogany EE chick. Daughter two's best friend claims blue EE chick right off the bat. And I'm there thinking "What the HELL happened to One of Each?" So Daughter two claims the smallest Speckled Sussex chick and I pick a random Welsummer chick because we ARE going to have those darn dark brown eggs in the spring come Hell or highwater. XD And we've instantly gone from six which was double my original intentions to TEN when we were supposed to be going to nine.

And now I've got my eye on an adorable little Mille Fleur D'uccle. Hubby's going hunting in Ohio in a few weeks. He won't even notice the addition to the coop till he gets back...^_^

 

[houseofknauss]

ahh, chicken math
I started 6 adults, lost 2 to the fox, bought 6 rir babies, integrated them, got 3 more adults, hatched 9 more, lost 2 ,= 19
so after 2 years I have 19 ---it was suppose to be 10. (several of the babies at 12 weeks old are roos and are going bye bye)

 

[rachmickmurphy]

wow i didnt know it had a name. laughed so hard at these confessionals while listening to the racket in the bator. tonight my total has gone up another 6 australorp and duccles (not to mention the 5 ducklings that the duck hatched this morning the other duck hatched 11 a couple of days ago) hmm so this is chicken math i just say dont know but i have alot DH knows when i need another pen it me dragging him into the hardware store and scrap metal yards great thread very entertaining and reassuring