How has chicken maths got you??

[Abriana]

Started with 8 chicks, got more after one died, hatched some, rescued two, one died, got more, hatched more, hatched more, kept hatching, more hatching.... my seventh batch of chicks just hatched the 24th, three little black ones (2 girls, one boy). Now I have 20. I’m not sorry!

 

[muddy75]

Great post! We decided to raise a few chickens for meat and eggs in our backyard. We went to rural king and came home with the minimum 6 chicks BA and RIR. That should have been plenty but I wanted turkeys too. Hubby sent me to bring home 2 but due to seeing the high probability of loss in turkey poults, I got 1 extra just in case! Then I wanted to add a couple of silkies. In order to get them inexpensively as possible, I had to order 15! I thought that with the popularity of silkies I would have no trouble rehoming a few....right? Then I got concerned that I wouldn’t have enough layers by spring so I picked up 6 EEs at rural king in September. Well now I have 29 birds in the run 1 special needs silkie in the brooder, 6 assorted due to hatch next week, and 24 quail eggs resting to go in for thanksgiving hatch!

 

[Shorty22366]

I started with 15 straight run silkies . 11 roosters got rid of all but 2 so had 6. Then ordered 29 mixed flock lost 5. Up to 30. Husband bought home 6 sebrights. Rooster was horrible and 1 hen gave them away so up to 34. Silkies went broody and hatched 26. Giving some away so up to 60 and hope to be down to 45 until next spring. Lol

 

[andreanar]

My current flock math: Started with 10, 1 died from cocci, got 2 to replace her.
Good for awhile.
1 died from sour crop. Got 2 bantams to replace her.(2 bantams = 1standard)
Good for awhile.
3 died from a possum attack. Let my bantam broody hatch 3 to replace them.
Good for awhile.
1 showed up that someone dumped off.
1 of the hatched babies is a cockerel, which means I can get like 5 more this spring, cause everyone knows 1 cockerel= like 5 standards or 10 bantams)

 

[thefadedstitch]

Wow...where do I start? With the two Silver Lace Polish hens I wanted of course. My best friend was in the show circuit for awhile and was the VP of the Marans Club of America for a bit. So, her knowing chickens the way she does, and the people she does, she talks me into buying two dozen hatching eggs of assorted breeds. (Peer pressure, sheesh). Well, we had bad rats this year and not a single one survived. That was two dozen and not including the free ones the breeder tossed in.
Then, I bid on a dozen Silver Lace Polish hatching eggs on eBay and forget that I did it. Honestly I hadn't thought I would win. A couple of weeks later I get the email that I won an auction. Asked myself which auction, I didn't bid on anything. Go to eBay. I was the proud owner of a dozen SLP eggs. Received the eggs a few days later. Breeder was wonderful (I still have to leave her feedback...months later...I keep forgetting...don't judge me...)
Set the eggs in the incubator. two weeks go by. My bestie says, "let's candle them". Well, shipping had destroyed the eggs. Not a single one was viable.
Back to the breeder that my bestie knows and not for eggs, so done with that, eggs are for eating. Four Sebrights and two Ameracaunas later, I had the start of my flock. I kept them in a coop and would go sit with them during the day. Slowly I started introducing them outside. Well, two of the Sebrights went rogue and never returned (I still insist the neighbors down the road ended up with surprise Sebrights). One Sebright expired due to a respiratory infection that we just couldn't get rid of, lord knows I tried.
Down to three.
Couple months later, the bestie and her DH bring me six Dominique pullets. They've all survived to this point, about five months old.
Shortly after, I went to a flea market with my bestie. Well, I'm a bleeding heart and felt bad a bullie BL Polish and she needed friends. Eight chickens later I went home. Because I like Cochins too. One of the White Crested Black Polish hens was aggressive so she went to a new home. Everyone else is still here and doing well.
Flock at 16.
A TSC run was in order one day. It just happened to be fall chick time and guess who's a sucker? The staff knew it too.
"They're marked down to $1.25 each, down from $3.29. Aren't they so cute? You have the others too and you like them."
"Give me 10 Delawares and two ISA Browns."
Lost a few along the way to heat, being squished, and dehydration. Came home one day and found the waterer on its side and bone dry.
Down to seven Delaware pullets, one ISA pullet, six Dominiques, one Buff Lace Polish pullet, one White Crested Black Polish hen, one Silkie, two GL Sebright pullets, one SL Sebright rooster, two Cochins, one Ameracauna pullet and one Ameracauna rooster.
Flock is now at 25.
Well, wanted some Wellies and Buckeyes. Minimum order was 25 chicks...so, one Delaware roo, one Wellie roo, one Dominique roo, one Buckeye roo, 10 Buckeye pullets and 11 Wellie pullets ariving next week. (Everyone knows the ladies need a man friend for comedic purposes)
Flock is now at 50.
Of course I talk to my bestie about all my chickens. She laughed and said I'd be incubating by this time next year. NO WAY. Mommas can do their job if I decided to let some hatch.
Then, go figure, I told the bestie I wanted Salmon Favarolles. The next morning I wake up to a text with a CL link for two Salmone Faverolle pullets. And, another add for a Salmon Faverolle roo. I'm picking them up this week.
Chicken math equals 53 because I wanted two Silver Lace Polish hens. Because I have to have a trio from what she said and her friend has plenty of eggs and she worked out a great price.
No more egg hatching for me but, I think I do have a problem. Maybe mostly with an enabling best friend. And I like chickens. And, I still have no SLP...

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

yay. i finally got to scratch the chicken math itch. TODAY.
in may My son rescued 2 chicks (luckily both hens). they turned out to be leghorn crosses. I was introduced to the chicken world and i love it. but, my son wanted friendlier chickens and we discovered silkies. after looking for months we got two more chickens today. I AM IN LOVE! so now we are up to 4! the city says no more than 5, my husband says no more than 4, and he is building a coop/run that can hold up to 8...and i have a secret list.

 

[thefadedstitch]

Ethel has been inside sick this week. She has become extremely spoiled. My lap is about the only place she wants to be. It's starting to look like she thinks she a house chicken. This can't be good. As I'm typing this she's sitting on my leg and doing her sleepy song.

 

[L1sa]

There are some great posts on here. Thank you everyone!

It really doesn't seem to matter just how determined we are to only have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Within a very short space of time, we are acquiring more and more and more!

I guess whether it's enabling best friends, or loved up partners, or just our love for our feathered friends, I think it's safe to say that we are just suckers for the cluckers!! Hahha just made that up!

 

[Coolbreeze89]

Brand new to chickens in April. Bought 10 chicks from local breeder with BCM, ameracauna (not EE), thinking I’d lose some to sickness and being roosters. Then, ad for 5 free white leghorns from elementary class that raised some chicks for a couple weeks. Then local breeder had another hatch, so 10 more (because I’ll end up with way less than half, right?). Then hit TSC when chicks were clearanced at $1 each...how do you turn that down? Got 20 RIR and golden comet...then neighbor had 6 speckled Sussex chicks that she needed to rehome... oh, and anothe rlocal person was selling pretty EE... So, I went from 0 to 60 in about a month! I’ve only lost one to an unknown issue (found dead and stiff in the coop - no idea). Once I found home (or freezer) for most of the Roos, I’m down to 33 hens and 3 Roos. HOWEVER, my first attempt at hatching is now on day 17...33 viable eggs at candling on day 14. Hoping for same tomorrow at lockdown... Thank goodness my hubby knew my obsessive soul would want to keep expanding, and we built a huge coop! 10x35 coop, with front and back “yards” each 500 sq ft, or so, each with aviary netting. Once my Kunekunes are done freeranging for the day, the chickens get to roam the 4 acres around our house for several hours (I wait til all eggs have been laid). My sweet Anatolian is perfect with the chickens..We haven’t lost a single one to predator (bird or beast!). I am so thankful for all the help here on BYC. I could never have any of this without everyone sharing knowledge and support.

 

[L1sa]

Best of luck with your hatch, I hope your viability stays at 33. That's so exciting! I have my 6 currently under a broody, candled 2 nights ago and 5 have developed and 1 looks clear, so I'm also hoping for 5 out of 6 hatch rate, which would be my best rate to date!

Your set up, sounds amazing!! I wish I had more room to offer my chooks, but we're a bit limited on space so I have to keep my numbers down. If I had more room ... hahaha, I'd just keep increasing in number!!

Keep us posted on your hatch