I can't stop buying chicks!!!

[SlipsWife]

First we went to TSC, bought 6 red pullets and 2 bantams. 1 bantam died, I was sad and order the hatchery surprise from cackle. While waiting for my ship date on the hatchery surprise I bought 2 white leghorns at a local feed store. The day the surprise arrived we lost 1 of our white leghorns. In the surprise we had 39 chicks and 2 turkey. We've lost 2 of the chicks and sold 12. Our dog killed 4 of the older guys. Then today I went to TSC hoping they would have in silkies (they didn't) and all because I saw one cutie that I really liked I bought 6 more! So, my chicken math equation so far is:

8-1=7
7+2=9
9-1=8
8+39=47 (plus 2 turkeys)
47-2=45 (carry the turkey)
45-12=33
33+6=39 and 2 turkeys

Now I found a hatchery website that has what I want but I have to order 30. I guess we could drive to the hatchery and maybe be able to buy less but its a 3.5 hour drive one way. I'd rather deal with selling the extras.

Our 'plan' is to only keep 15 (ok....maybe 20...) chickens and I can't decide who I want to keep and who I'm ok with letting go! What if I end up with 90% roosters?! The ones from cackle are mostly in pairs so I feel like I HAVE to keep them together. What if I hold onto them and no one wants to buy them later when they aren't cute anymore?!

So, how's chicken math working out for you?!

Please share your stories so I can show my husband it's not just me!

 

[SA Farm]

I'm not too far into chicken math...yet...

4+1-4= 1 started with 4 rir and a rooster
1+6= 7 got 6 leghorn
7-6= 1 still got the rooster
1+4= 5 got two barred rock and two mix
5+7= 12 got 7 chicks

Have 12 in the incubator and 12 ordered, so my math will be adding up rapidly if they hatch...

 

[missnu01]

I started with
4
but we ate one...
4-1=3
then I got a mama hen and 7 chicks
3+8=11
Then we got a silkie rooster
11+1=12
Then 2 chicks died
12-2=10
Then at the feed store I got 5 buff orpingtons, and 9 meatbirds and 4 pekin ducks
10+9+5=24 and 4 ducks
Then the next day at the feed store I got 6 leghorns, and 2 red sexinks, and 2 mallard ducks
So 24+6+2 and 4+2=32 and 6 ducks...
Then I got 4 EEs locally
32+4=36 and 6 ducks
Then I got 2 more mallard ducks
36 and 6+2=8...So right now we're holding steady at 36 chickens and 8 ducks...We of course are going to eat 9 of them pretty soon so I don't really count them into the equation...
Anyway I have 24 eggs in the incubator and an order coming from cackle in May...Most of the chicks we got are straight run and one of the Buff Orpingtons is already getting a red comb and wattles...so I know some are going to be roosters and thusly will need to be figured out. I like larger chickens, but right now I have one big old White Rock Rooster and 2 smaller roosters. One a silkie and the other a slightly larger than bantam barnyard mix. I don't want the barnyard mix or the silkie really...I wanted the silkie so I could make neat looking mixes...but he has attacked me on a few occasions and I just don't like him all that much...not to mention I only like big birds. I want to eat them, and I don't like processing numerous tiny chickens...would rather take just a few large chickens...

anyway in May I have 6 turkeys, 5 ducks, and 12 chickens coming...

I am having an issue though...my big roo is an awesome pet. I love him..he's so funny. He follows me all over the yard, and he keeps the silkie from attacking me, and he is just a good chicken, but a terrible rooster. He doesn't watch the hens, if something comes he runs to the coop leaving the silkie to fend off whatever it is...but since we have so many roosters right now nobody is fertilizing the eggs...all the roosters are more worried about keeping the other roosters from breeding, so nobody is getting any...So I think I might process the small barnyard mix and maybe rehome the silkie then see if my big roo can fertilize the eggs...I want to keep the big roo, but I wouldn't mind changing him out for one of the Buff Orpingtons I know is going to be a rooster. I don't know...I'll figure it out though...

 

[cowsr4eating]

Have you tried looking at Craig's List in your area? We have had lots of good luck with small breeders. You should be able to find them closer than the hatchery and you can go visit and hand pick out what you want. Take lots of containers to carry your purchases back. We always buy more than we intend!

 

[leemamahen]

I told my husband I was going to get six. Went to tsc and came home with ten. Had them for three weeks and got a call from a local hardware store telling me they had a few extra from pre orders. So I went and bought three more. The next day they called me again and told me their sister store a few towns over had two ees that didn't belong to an order, I drove over and bought those too!!

10+3= 13

13+2=15

15 >6!!

 

[SlipsWife]

I'm not too far into chicken math...yet...

4+1-4= 1 started with 4 rir and a rooster
1+6= 7 got 6 leghorn
7-6= 1 still got the rooster
1+4= 5 got two barred rock and two mix
5+7= 12 got 7 chicks

Have 12 in the incubator and 12 ordered, so my math will be adding up rapidly if they hatch...

Oh no...the eggs! Part of the reason I want to order more is so we can hatch some eggs! I want to do breed naked necks everything! NNxFrizzles NNxsilkies NNxEE...oh the fun I want to have. I am then going to HAVE to keep a few of those guys too...

 

[SlipsWife]

I wanted the silkie so I could make neat looking mixes...but he has attacked me on a few occasions and I just don't like him all that much...not to mention I only like big birds. I want to eat them, and I don't like processing numerous tiny chickens...would rather take just a few large chickens...

I was hoping to be able to keep a silkie rooster too. Fingers crossed mine is friendly!!!

 

[critterwhisper]

HAHA here is my math. Orderd 15got 16 on feb 8th,lost one, so that left me with 15,then got 6 at rual king that week so that = 21 about a week ago i had empty brooder syndrom so got 6 more so that = 27 so: 16-1=15 15+6 = 21 21+6 = 27 so there is my chicken math

 

[HomesteadDebi]

12 is enough. 12 is enough. *Repeating to myself over and over* 12 is enough...for now

 

[what did I do]

Just keep the ones you have AND GET AN INCUBATOR older chicks always sell.