I think I figured out chicken math!

[Animalian]

I got a POL pullet and she was in a coop with a roo... Now i'm thinking I could hatch some of her eggs under my broody PR!!!

many chickens for the price of one? ACE!

 

[Cynthia12]

I've got the hatching room/bird room/brooder room. I also have a nursery out side. Oh, and I have a broody pen. Oh, yes, can't forget the coop.
So, what's this about math? If I have a hatching room, bird room, a nursery out side.. and the coop, I'm expected to keep up with numbers?
Last month could be so different from this month. And last year could be so different from this year. In fact, two years ago is waay different than this year.
I sell babies. I buy big girls to give me eggs until my babies that I decided to keep will lay for me, every other year. Hmm, when is the chicken math needed? This year, two years ago, last year..... ??

 

[off-grid hen]

I started off being immune to chicken math. I'm such an amateur. I'll need help.

I ordered 15 chicks last spring to arrive april 18th. I resisted the urge to buy "just a few" chicks from tractor supply during chick days to hold me over til the other chicks arrived. (That was REALLY hard.) Tornados in the midwest caused a shipping delay, and I only got 3 live chicks (so sad). The hatchery replaced the entire order but one didn't make it, so I ended up with 17.

I figure I have white eggs, and light brown eggs, so I need blue eggs and some marans eggs. Maybe some Welsumers. For variety, you know.

One dominique was lost to a predator, and the rooster got too mean (He was a hatchery sexing mistake). Since chicken math is exponentially driven, and I need to replace 2 chickens, I will get 2 black copper marans, and 2 welsumers. And since you can never tell what color eggs you'll get from an easter egger, I will have to get at least 5 of those to make sure I get at least SOME blue eggs, right?

I think I've shown amazing self-restraint.

On a more serious note, I have an 8 x 16 coop, and a 10 x 30 run. The girls get out every day for at least an hour to forage. The forage is GREAT (we're in the middle of 300 acres of mixed woods with an old cow pasture with clover, dandelions, and other wildflowers with LOTS of bug variety). I think we'll expand the run at some point, but the coop can't be expanded. I don't truly know how many I will be adding. I will see how they do this winter with the amount of floor and run space they currently have. I don't want to add too many birds and make them miserable. I know people have more birds in a smaller space, but we have a LOT of property, and the girls have a good life here. I don't want to cramp them because of my own need for more chickens.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
And THAT is how I ended up with several coops or coop-like buildings where I used to live.

Now I have a 17 X 22 former garage transmogrified into a huge coop. Plus the other coops still needing to be relocated to this property. They're currenly empty because I don't live at that location any more, but once I get 'em moved up here... There will be no stopping me!

 

[moodlymoo]

Let me see if I have the chicken math down

6 chicks purchased
4 chicks killed by neighbor dog
-----------------
2 chicks left but they dont count

4 chicks re-purchased
6 more to get over the loss
------------------------
12 chicks total but they dont count lol

3 Bantam cochins purchased for 4-H kids but they dont count either cause they are not laying and are for 4-H

1 D'uccel and 1 Bantam cochin frizzle swapped for the 3 cochin bantams cause they were being real mean but they are still for 4-H so they dont count

1 MASSIVE BLRW and 2 BLRW chicks to make me feel better for trading the first 3 bantam cochins

4 chicks to raise for MIL who now doesnt want them but werent purchased for me so they dont count

Im getting a few more today to comfort me for my husband walking out on us but they wont count either because they are just chicks

SO...since nobody is laying yet I have ZERO

am I correct?

 

[Summer98]

All of these posts are hilarious! I haven't even ordered my chickens yet, but I wish I could have one of every kind. When we built our coop this Fall, we were talking about having 9 or so chickens. Once we finished the coop, I told my hubby that I would need to order 25 because that is the minimum from the hatchery. I also mentioned that I want to make sure and order enough, just in case we lose some to predators (i.e. my cats?). So as of right now, I am planning on ordering my minimum 25 chicks. It sounds like the hatcheries send a few extras in the orders. So we shall see what happens...

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:
And THAT is how I ended up with several coops or coop-like buildings where I used to live.

Now I have a 17 X 22 former garage transmogrified into a huge coop. Plus the other coops still needing to be relocated to this property. They're currenly empty because I don't live at that location any more, but once I get 'em moved up here... There will be no stopping me!

No fair!! That big a coop..that many coops...I'm sayin, no fair!

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:
I think I see some chicken math going on in a few places here.

 

[Animalian]

Quote:
I got three chicks out of the eggs! They are 2 1/2 weeks old today!