Mahonri's 2nd Annual BYC EASTER HATCH. Post pics of your chicks!

[SteveH]

Quote:
chicken math is how 2 chickens turn into 20 plus plus plus etc... Ya think..ok I'll get 2-4 chickens for some eggs, right! Next thing you know your like hmmm well whats 1 -2 more.... following??? Next thing you know you have too many and will never admit that, your incubating dozen etc and so on and so on.

Chicken math is very flexible. You can use it in reverse on say, a spouse that isn't as excited over the four dozen eggs you just purchased. You say "I purchased 48 eggs, but only 36 will arrive unharmed. When I set the 36 eggs, only 24 will hatch. Of the 24 that hatch, only 12 will be female. Those females are staying...so you see hun, four dozen eggs is at best one dozen chickens." Nothing to worry about!

That's my understanding of chicken math exactly. I use it to argue with myself.................................. and if I plan on keeping only the very best for my flock............................ I can tell myself that hatching 2 or 3 hundred eggs will give me the 10 chickens I want. [Maybe............................. but those 10 are going to need replacements for one reason or another, so...................................]

 

[Rathbone]

I very seriously question people who list 4 or 6 eggs in an auction. To me, with shipped eggs, that equals 2 or 3 hatching out - meaning 1 or 2 will be hens. I seriously don't get why anyone would set less than a dozen shipped eggs.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
That topic has been beat to death on this forum. Not everyone has the facilities/resources to house large flocks. Most all eggs I sell come in a 6+ shipment because either I have small flocks or they just aren't laying well. I think my largest fllock is my seramas, and they aren't even laying yet. Next in line is my OEGB, another non-laying group right now. Next on the list are my bantam cochins, I have 1 flock of 5 and 1 flock of 2. I like to have 3-4 hens per roo in my bantam flocks, which would be a 6+ order of eggs unless someone wanted 'old' eggs.
If I had only 1 or 2 breeds of chickens I would probably have larger flocks, but having larger flocks means more eggs, and being allergic, I just don't need them. I offer hatching eggs to allow others the opportunity to own some of the breeds I love. Though I do agree, I often do bypass the 6+ auctions, but usually that's because their prices are comparable to a 12 + auction.

ETA: I just don't see the point of spending $30+ on 6 eggs when I can pay the same or just a little more to get 12. I don't overprice my eggs because I know not many want a small order.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh........................... but that's where the "but I only spent" comes in to play; and since it would be a waste of energy to run the bator with a six egg set, you fill it with your own and maybe some Trader Joes.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I'm not counting down to any more peeps (until Easter, that is). But I am counting down to my vacation and subsequent trip to Phoenix!

And tomorrow it's going to be ABOVE FREEZING (it was -8 this morning)! My life is looking up!

 

[Rathbone]

And just to clarify before I step on some toes - nothing wrong with listing 4 - 6 eggs. I was just expounding on my chicken math theory. I am a new hatcher and for me, setting 4 - 6 eggs in an incubator doesn't net me as many successfully hatched eggs as it would a better hatcher.

And you chem. girl...you picking up eggs while in Phoenix? I know this great guy Mahonri that might set you up...not to mention Laree et al.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
I have 2 things I want to accomplish in Phoenix:
1. Get some uninterrupted sleep (see also: don't get called/emailed/texted/paged from work, about work or to work)
2. See the grand canyon

I was wondering where I was going to get some eggs for EATING while I was there since there's no way I can eat grocery store eggs... but I didn't (seriously) consider picking up eggs to hatch. I wonder if the airlines let you carry them on? I know they let you carry on live lobsters...

But noooo I can't bring any home because I wouldn't have room in my incubator for the anonymous eggs I've purchased for the Easter Hatch.

 

[Rathbone]

I just had this funny vision of all of us - touring the states and abroad, picking up hatching eggs in place of souveniers of the eiffel tower or statue of liberty. Silly huh?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Now that is something that I would do.

When I drive past peoples houses with chickens (eggs for sale) around here I scope them out and see if they have anything I might want to hatch in the future. It's hard this time of year because everyones coop is buried in snow.

The weekend before I'm going to arrive in Phoenix the Ostrich Festival is going on. I am seriously bummed that I'm going to be missing that. Although if they were selling hatching eggs there I'd be done.

 

[Rathbone]

I scope people's houses too...but no one here has anything I want.
Well, I am off to the school - gotta earn the money so I can buy chicken scratch.