Explaining Chicken Math

[sharol]

I'm sorry, I am gonna be dumb for a moment and ask what the heck is an EE, CX, and a BO is... I am new-ish to the forum and see these all over and have no clue... well, I have a clue but not sure if I am right!!

Easter Egger, Cornish Cross (meatie), and Buff Orpington.

 

[shelbear81]

Easter Egger, Cornish Cross (meatie), and Buff Orpington.

I was right!! Except the BO... I could think of nothing that would fit it except body odor

... thank you very much!!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

My chicken math:

Intention: keep 10 chickens for eggs -- order enough to make sure I wind up with 10 chickens -- intend to sell the extras or process them for the freezer.

Ordered:
10 Rhode Island Reds
5 Cherry Eggers
10 Ameraucanas

Received 26, lost one early -- and then three weeks in my dog killed them.

Modified inteintion to keep 15 chickens instead of just 10 -- increased cost for the coop...
Ordered the next batch:
5 Cinnamon Queens
5 Welsummers
5 Domniques
5 Golden Laced Wyandottes
15 Ameraucanas

Received 37, lost two early. Still have 35.

Decided to also raise quail...

Ordered 50.
Received 52. Lost 4 so far.

Thought about some other breeds I'd like to try...
Ordered another batch (to arrive late July):
5 Australorps
5 Rhode Island Reds
5 Brown Leghorns
10 Buff Brahma (straight run)
10 Red Jungle Fowl (straight run)

Found some other breeds at another hatchery, ordered another batch (to arrive late July):
3 Golden Lakenvelder
3 Partridge Rock
1 Partridge Penedesenca Male
1 Partridge Penedesenca Female

Decided to keep the male and female Penedesenca and see if I can breed them true.

So, I currently have 35 chicks and 48 Pharoah Coturnix quail and I have 43 additional chicks on order.

All so that I can keep 15, mind you...

...sounds like I'll either be processing/selling a lot of them -- or building another coop...

You win. Seriously, you just win today's Chicken Math Prize.

I'm going to show this post to my husband, who keeps looking at the 80 young birds running around and the 22 adult birds in the pasture and frowning.

 

[ONSTAD1]

Ok. This is embarrasing...

Chicken math before I even get chickens.

Here's my thought. Ive been wavering between 4 or 5 chickens. Been leaning toward 4...until tonight. Haveing second thoughts now... I hate to get 4 tomorrow and then in 6 months decide I want a fifth and have to integrate a chick into an established flock (not to mention I don't have the space to raise hens AND achick).

So I guess it boils down to space. I'm just on the cusp of ha ing room for five. I have 16 ftsq of coop space and 48ftsq of run. I plan to "free range" them in the yard for a few hours each evening. If they would be happy in this enviorment I'd prefer to go with 5.

I invite all to chime in as I figure the more opinions the better.

And oh yeah...I have till 2:00 pm tomorrow to decide : )

and no, I haven't been drinking!


Mo

 

[sharol]

On a serious note, don't over populate your coop. 4 is about right for your coop, and where you are, they might be spending time inside during the winter. 2 years ago I ordered 8 chicks (the minimum) from MPC. 7 arrived alive. My hoop/coop had 16 sq ft inside the house. The plan was to rehome 3 chickens when they got bigger to a neighbor who had chickens and agreed to take them. We all know how that works. It wasn't even close to big enough for the 7 and I couldn't part with them, so we spent lots more money on a bigger 6x8 metal building and turned it into a very nice coop (with 48 sq ft -- you all know where this is going, right?) I'm at 11 (including my amazing roo, Butch) and the size of the coop is about perfect.

Overpopulation leads to all sorts of anti-social behavior that you won't want to deal with especially during the winter. On the other hand, if you WANT to get a bigger coop/run....

Sharol in Kansas

Ok. This is embarrasing...

Chicken math before I even get chickens.

Here's my thought. Ive been wavering between 4 or 5 chickens. Been leaning toward 4...until tonight. Haveing second thoughts now... I hate to get 4 tomorrow and then in 6 months decide I want a fifth and have to integrate a chick into an established flock (not to mention I don't have the space to raise hens AND achick).

So I guess it boils down to space. I'm just on the cusp of ha ing room for five. I have 16 ftsq of coop space and 48ftsq of run. I plan to "free range" them in the yard for a few hours each evening. If they would be happy in this enviorment I'd prefer to go with 5.

I invite all to chime in as I figure the more opinions the better.

And oh yeah...I have till 2:00 pm tomorrow to decide : )

and no, I haven't been drinking!


Mo

 

[ONSTAD1]

Well, I posted this on 4 threads and the answers were across the board. Pretty much a 50/50 split between 4 or 5 chicks. Thanks for all your input. Think I'm just going to drive up to Loveland and see how the mood takes me...guessing with 16 little chicks peeping at me and crawling in my hand, 5 get a new home... but who knows. The universe will provide ; )

mo

 

[ONSTAD1]

here are the 4 chicks I decided to get.

 

[chicken pickin]

here are the 4 chicks I decided to get.

Good counting LOL. What breeds did you choose?

 

[ONSTAD1]

3 EEs (browns and white) Australorp (black and yellow) and red star (red).

 

[chicken pickin]

very cute.I knew youd end up with 5 lol. It seemed to be already set in your mind. Poultry is crazy addicting. I got my 1st flock of 12 chickens on feb 29 this year. Brought home 2 BBW turkeys 4 weeks ago. Last week placed an order from a local farm for 5 bourbon red poults we will pick up next week. And last night I ordered 25 broilers from a hatchery that will arrive in 2 weeks. Its crazy but so much fun