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My Pet Chicken is in Ohio. I think they would be pretty close. I have gotten mine from there. Chicken math is real and it feels like calculus sometimes. I find chickens seem to work best best in pairs. Therefore I now have 4. It has taken me a year to get there. Here is the story, short version.

I had a flock of the hens, 1 of them was always off on her own as the top of the pecking order did not want her taking their food. I had 1 hen pass, my top hen, and was left with 2.

I have found over time that 2 is not optimal because it becomes a scramble to add a hen if one passes. They do not do well as loners. So we needed to add to the flock.

A debate was had and were decided to order 4 chicks so we could bring the flock to a total. Wait you say, 2+4=6. Not in chicken math.

Of the 4 were were ordering, you need to apply the following additional math.
  • 1 will not make it through the transit or for other health reasons
  • 1 will be a rooster
Despite the hatchery's best efforts. Boys sneak through the process and I can't have a roster where I am at.

(2+4)-2=4. The size flock I wanted.

So it's shipping day and chicken math throws in a variable for which I did not account, they don't have the 4th chick and no substitutes are available that I wanted. I only get 3.

Well, like I planned, 1 did not survive the trip and I got a rooster. My flock was now at 3 again.

(2+3)-2=3

Still wanting to get to 4, I tried a different tactic, I ordered pullets. That way I could take the rooster variable out and they are very likely to survive shipping. My Pet Chicken was more than willing to "help me out " on the cost because of all the issues with the first order. The problem is, I did not want 5 and I had to order 2 pullets. I made an agreement with a friend to give her 1 of the 2 and I ordered.

(3+2)-1=4. Chicken Math

Well they came, both healthy, both girls. Problem is, once I had the two of them, I could not give one up. They had wormed their way into my heart. Chicken Math.

3+2=5

Now I had 1 hen as the odd hen out again only this time it was my middle hen.

Remember at the beginning I told you I had 4 hens right now? Well I got the to 4 the hard way as my oldest hen passed a month ago now, I think. It was sad but chicken math does include subtraction unfortunately.

5-1=4

The flock is balanced and doing very well right now. But chicken math is real and not too be taken lightly.

By the way, my wife mentioned the other day she would like to get some Polish hens. Here were go again.
 
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