Kraken Farmer
Chirping
Hello to all,
I have been lurking about this site for a while now and have decided to join, because I have a problem and need your support.
Many of you are familiar with this problem... its called "Chicken Math". I am no longer ashamed. I acknowledge I have a problem and have come here for your support in continuing this addiction... um I mean to help me cope with this addiction.
My addiction started in February 2014. My wife, 2 daughters, and I decided to get some chickens, so we went to the local TSC to pick some out. We were going to get 6 chicks, 3 red sex-links and 3 black sex-links. That's when chicken math reared its ugly head. There was one red left by itself, so we had to get it, that now made 7. My wife noticed they had the dreaded green egg laying 'Ameracaunas', so she wanted 2 of those, now at 9 chicks. The oldest of my daughters then saw some cute yellow chicks (Cornish crosses), so yeah 2 more to make 11.
That batch of chickens would not last sadly. By July of 2014 the heat and a parasite/disease (likely cocci) claimed the Cornish crosses, the red sex-links, and all but one black sex-link. That last black sex-link disappeared 2 months later, likely predation. That just left us with the 2 Ameracauna hens (Tickles and Racer).
After a few months and much cleaning, we got over the paranoia of disease and felt our girls needed a larger flock, so we purchased 6 Ameracaunas, 6 Buff Orpingtons, and 6 Salmon Faverolles (straight run) from the Georgia Mad Hatcher in central Georgia in October 2014. So chicken math brought us up to 20 chickens. Three of the Orpingtons were roos, so 2 were given to my neighbor and one or the Orpington girls was killed by a predator. That brought us back down to 17.
February 2015 came around and all my hen were of laying age, so... time to get more chicks. This time we ordered from Ideal which has no lower limit on how many you order. We ordered 4 Barred Holland pullets, 4 Cuckoo Marans pullets, and 4 Buff Minorca pullets. Of course the reason Ideal has no minimum is that they fill the box with chicks they haven't sold, so we also received 13 Blue Cochin cockerels. That order brought us up to 42 chickens. Sadly one of our Salmon Faverolles hens died from the heat this summer and 1 Cochin was killed by a preditor, so back down to 41.
Too many roosters, so one Blue Cochin when to my neighbor, 7 went to auction along with an excess Ameracauna rooster in August 2015. That would have taken us down to 31, but one of our Orpingtons went broody back in June and hatched 7 out of 8 eggs to set us at 38.
Of course now that I have a way to get rid of roosters, time to order more chicks. So on September 23, 2015 I received my largest order yet (from Meyers). 30 chicks, 5 Salmon Faverolles pullets (one was free!), 4 Ameracauna pullets, 3 Blue Silkies, 4 RIR pullets + 1 cockerel, 4 Barred Rock pullets + 1 cockerel, 3 Black Copper Marans pullets + 1 cockerel, 4 Blue Andalusians pullets. So for the moment that puts us at 68 chickens, but not for long, as the last 4 Cochins, an excess Salmon Faverolles Rooster, and the 3 cockerels from the broody Orpington are probably going to auction this weekend. That should put us at an even 60 if my count is correct.
So that is my chicken math testimony, 6 planned became 60+.
I have been lurking about this site for a while now and have decided to join, because I have a problem and need your support.
Many of you are familiar with this problem... its called "Chicken Math". I am no longer ashamed. I acknowledge I have a problem and have come here for your support in continuing this addiction... um I mean to help me cope with this addiction.
My addiction started in February 2014. My wife, 2 daughters, and I decided to get some chickens, so we went to the local TSC to pick some out. We were going to get 6 chicks, 3 red sex-links and 3 black sex-links. That's when chicken math reared its ugly head. There was one red left by itself, so we had to get it, that now made 7. My wife noticed they had the dreaded green egg laying 'Ameracaunas', so she wanted 2 of those, now at 9 chicks. The oldest of my daughters then saw some cute yellow chicks (Cornish crosses), so yeah 2 more to make 11.
That batch of chickens would not last sadly. By July of 2014 the heat and a parasite/disease (likely cocci) claimed the Cornish crosses, the red sex-links, and all but one black sex-link. That last black sex-link disappeared 2 months later, likely predation. That just left us with the 2 Ameracauna hens (Tickles and Racer).
After a few months and much cleaning, we got over the paranoia of disease and felt our girls needed a larger flock, so we purchased 6 Ameracaunas, 6 Buff Orpingtons, and 6 Salmon Faverolles (straight run) from the Georgia Mad Hatcher in central Georgia in October 2014. So chicken math brought us up to 20 chickens. Three of the Orpingtons were roos, so 2 were given to my neighbor and one or the Orpington girls was killed by a predator. That brought us back down to 17.
February 2015 came around and all my hen were of laying age, so... time to get more chicks. This time we ordered from Ideal which has no lower limit on how many you order. We ordered 4 Barred Holland pullets, 4 Cuckoo Marans pullets, and 4 Buff Minorca pullets. Of course the reason Ideal has no minimum is that they fill the box with chicks they haven't sold, so we also received 13 Blue Cochin cockerels. That order brought us up to 42 chickens. Sadly one of our Salmon Faverolles hens died from the heat this summer and 1 Cochin was killed by a preditor, so back down to 41.
Too many roosters, so one Blue Cochin when to my neighbor, 7 went to auction along with an excess Ameracauna rooster in August 2015. That would have taken us down to 31, but one of our Orpingtons went broody back in June and hatched 7 out of 8 eggs to set us at 38.
Of course now that I have a way to get rid of roosters, time to order more chicks. So on September 23, 2015 I received my largest order yet (from Meyers). 30 chicks, 5 Salmon Faverolles pullets (one was free!), 4 Ameracauna pullets, 3 Blue Silkies, 4 RIR pullets + 1 cockerel, 4 Barred Rock pullets + 1 cockerel, 3 Black Copper Marans pullets + 1 cockerel, 4 Blue Andalusians pullets. So for the moment that puts us at 68 chickens, but not for long, as the last 4 Cochins, an excess Salmon Faverolles Rooster, and the 3 cockerels from the broody Orpington are probably going to auction this weekend. That should put us at an even 60 if my count is correct.
So that is my chicken math testimony, 6 planned became 60+.
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That's such a shame you have lost some. 
