I count by color and size. Mostly the sizzle pen gets to get out since they have a concrete floor. I go 2 blue, 3 white, 1 black and 3 little ones and the roo. I just look without really counting. If I counted them all I would probably faint and I don't want DH to realize how many I have. We just loaded up a bunch to take to the livestock auction tomorrow and he asked me how many are going. I had to refer to my list because I didn't even know. When I said 28 he just looked at me. There are still 2 more that I have to grab in the morning before I leave. I bet he was thinking there are more than that still out there.
I do an out loud head count several times a day on my free ranging birds. The new neighbors cracked up the first time they heard me.
"Nugget, two black, two gray, three oddballs, Stupid and Stupid." (Stupid and Stupid are my DD's evil white orp twins. Maybe I should change one to Stoopid.
With the multiple breeds, I count them in groups (2 SF, 4mix) the rest I just count off until I get 12. They I go back and count each one 3 times, saying out loud "12 babies and 4 white ones and the roo". Then I think I missed one because I always forget to count the total, so I have to go back and count until they add up to 18, then I remember that one died so I have to recount to 17.