Explaining Chicken Math

[jstlitlome]

OMG! You guys are scaring me!

I'm new at this, but my 6 turned into 10, because "surely they wont all make it". Sure did!

I think that this isnt the end of it!

Leslie

 

[tlpounds]

Love it! Sounds so much like me that I HAD to read it to my DH (maybe for justification of my illness?). It's gotten so bad for me that we're buying a house so we can have more chickens. That's pretty bad, huh?

 

[BullChick]

OK I love every one of these stories.

I however, am sad to say that NO ONE here knows how to do "chicken math".

The way it was explained to me was:
1. Eggs do not count because you never count your chickens before they hatch.
2. Meaties do not count because they are dinner.
3. Extra Roos do not count because they are dinner.
4. Roos that are for breeding do not count because they are breeders.
5. Chicks do not count because the might be male or female, never sure till they lay an egg or crow.
6. Broody hens do not count because they are incubators and not laying eggs.
7. Hens that have just hatched off chicks do not count because they are new mothers, the chicks see #5
8. Hens that are molting do not count because they are not laying eggs.
9. Old hens do not count because they no longer laying eggs but are great mothers of step chicks.
10. Any chicken that is for sale or trade does not count because they are leaving.
11. Never have an odd number od chickens because no one wants to be the odd chicken out.
12. Bantams only count as 1/2 because they are small.
13. ANY ANIMAL that has a name is not counted because once you give them a name they are family, and you can not count family.

So the way I see it most of you need buy some chickens because most of what you have DO NOT COUNT.

So says the guy who 3 years ago started with 11 hens and 1 roo,
Last year had over 600 mouths that were taking in food.
Today I only have 32 chickens, even though I am feeding close to 200 mouths.

Love it! Sounds so much like me that I HAD to read it to my DH (maybe for justification of my illness?). It's gotten so bad for me that we're buying a house so we can have more chickens. That's pretty bad, huh?

Nope, not bad at all. Sounds right!

OH I feel so much better now! I have to show this thread to my husband so he doesn't keep thinking I have gone crazy.

So far this is how my math has worked out -- I wanted about 6-8 hens for eggs and then several CornishX for meat birds. The meat birds don't count at all because they won't be kept in the regular run and coop since they eat so different and have to be processed by 8 weeks (we have a seperate pen built for them) So...no meat birds in my chicken math. I had wanted to start with 6-8 pullets and I wanted red stars/rir reds, barred rocks and EE's they didn't have any EE's so I figured no biggie, get the others and order EE's when they have them. I had also read so much about how it was almost expected to lose a couple birds that I figured it would be good to have extras. Well one of my barred rock pullets is not very pullet like and is a boy for certain and I found some EE's so I figured well....I will order some EE's and another BR pullet...but...oh wait...look at the buff orpingtons! I really wanted some of those....and OMG they have Sicilian Buttercups....OMG OMG OMG....I desperately wanted one of those and could not find any....wait....now I need extra to fill the box...well since they are mail order chicks I should order some extra anyway in case any arrive dead or sick or oh wow....leghorns.....well I just order a few extra of everything just to be safe and how hard could it be to give away a few pullets if I end up with too many? Better safe then sorry!! And what if I end up with another pullet that ends up being a boy....

Anyway, right now my 6 is at 16. But in my head I am not counting the pullet that is a rooster so it's only 15 and then the three extra I ordered so it is actually only 12.

so yea 6 = 12 my head.

that all makes sense to you all right cause no matter how many times I explain it the husband he just looks at me weird.

That roo doesn't count at all! Show your husband the top quote.

Wow i have finally diagnosed my disorder. Chicken Math. lol
It started years ago with 5 cute fuzzy chicks and a purple guinea hen.
Fast forward to last year. Gramps pulled out an old rabbit hutch and said he wanted some chickens. i was shopping at tsc one day and came across discounted white leghorn chicks. who can pass up discounted chicks? So six of them came home with me. cramps tells me that night that he wants adult chickens. so the biddies stay with me. my friends son had to get rid of his chickens so i got them for gramps. that brought us up to 17 hens and 2 roosters. after a bad year with predators we were down to 2 white leghorns, 1 GLW, 1 light Brahma roo and a RIR roo for a total of 5. another trip to tsc and found more discounted leghorn chicks!! They were only $1 apiece cuz one was beat and bloody. plus i have 3 eggs in my homemade incubator.
So 6+13=19- 14=5+2=7+???
I love chicken math. oh yeah. i might be picking up a new roo in 2 weeks
i feel like i should add this because i suffer from other types of animal math too. lol
1 dog became 2. Turned into 4. Went back to 2. Turned back into 4. 3 days ago turned into 17 with the birth of a very healthy and very large litter of pups.

Chicken math usually becomes goat math. Your mama dog sounds like she is the size of a goat (to have that many puppies!).

 

[mcurry]

My DH has me grounded from anymore chick purchases until I finish getting all the brooders empty.
I don't understand why he's so upset. The Jubilee Orpington chicks were only going to cost 75 dollars ea. lol

 

[backwoodstexas]

Chicken math is justification for getting more chickens..........which seems perfectly normal to me.

 

[sane cat lady]

I luckly am not having chicken math problems, my hubby and i looked over breeds and colors until we both agreed on what we wanted (black english orpingtons) found a breeder withing driving distance when she and i first spoke she was firmly not willing to sell more than 2 sexed girls without a boy or straight run chicks however we got to know one another through emails and phone calls and when she finally got her NPIP clearance she agreed to sell me 4 sexed girls for double the price of her straight run chicks, my girls were $30 each and a drive over the vermont boarder but so worth it

 

[chickentender1]

I want to have a few different colors in the yard, too. Any study been done if certain colors don't mix well in the Chicken coop?

 

[BullChick]

I want to have a few different colors in the yard, too. Any study been done if certain colors don't mix well in the Chicken coop?

Just whites and free ranging. They are easier to see, so are first to be caught by hawks.

 

[Sallysec]

I feel like I should start this post with:
"My name is Sally and I have a problem....."

But, is it REALLY a problem? I mean I am not breaking any laws (yet)' and so far no one has complained(to my face).

Here is my updated story. I started with being talked into getting a few chickens. Like four...that turned into six when I did research on chickens and breeds. I was set on ordering eight once my husband picked out one...had to make it an even number. Next we found the mystery chick option and if you order five your guaranteed three different breeds....okay so now I placed an order for 13 chicks....bakers dozen as I come for a family of bakers this makes sense. ...one DOA one died a few hours later. So now I have eleven...an uneven number (humpft) hurricane sandy comes and I was too busy to be on BYC, spring came and my baby chicks became big girls and started laying...and my husband gave me an incubator and I want to use it. I mean why have an incubator in a box? Thing isn't rooster. So I went to a chicken meeting and talked to a woman about local eggs....then a fellow BYC lover is moving so I plan on adopting her four hens(but they are hers and don't count) so if I buy seven eggs from here and hatch them...what maybe five will hatch and two will be girls so I will be back to thirteen right? And if I go to the Sussex nj show and buy anything...it doesn't count either because well it wouldn't be a chick...and aren't chicks what count? Last weekend I had my husband pickup a bunch of pallet boxes and he asked why, I said for chicken apartments. He flat out asked me what my future chicken plans are ....so I told him....two big coops in the far corners of the yards wi big girls.and two or maybe three apartment coops in my raised bed kitchen garden with some bantams or some pretty girls in them. Sooooo like I said...I got talked into chickens...now I am still trying to figure out chicken math...oh and my girlfriend has a coworker with a rooster who is willing to give me some practice eggs...those don't count rot? And another friend wants some chicks for her uncle who wants like four hens for his house....

So I told my husband he and the kids need to come to the Sussex show in their own car....because I'm driving the SUV with baked goods and need the space for the brownies I am baking....really I'm just volunteering.....

 

[annewandering]

Quote:
Its purely accidental and coincidental that you will have empty space in your big lonely SUV going home. Might be smart to get some peanuts to keep it cozy warm.