Official Definition(s) of Chicken Math

[CCourson05]

I always consider it like this.... I have a two acre yard. Until its full, I don't have enough.

I have 20 now, I am hatching some, buying more pullets soon, purchasing chicks at the feed store around easter. I have a ways to go.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Lets see....

The three Wyandotte cockerels don't count cuz they won't be around long...

The Sex-Link and Production red Roos don't count because I am just holding them for a friend...

The 20 eggs in the 'bator don't count because they aren't chickens yet...

The 11 Ameraucana chicks don't count cuz they are are just chicks...

The 9 Production Red cockerels don't count because they are cockerels and they are still chicks...

The 6 mixed cockerels don't count cuz they are cockerels...

3 out of 4 Delawares aren't laying yet so they don't count...

The 14 broilers don't count because they are still teenagers...




So REALLY I only have 14 chickens... now if only I could get my bf to see it my way!!!

 

[welasharon]

ACk! I forgot about the polish!!!! THey don't count at all. Thanks for reminding me! So, as mississippifarmboy educated us...round down to even numbers...so I only have four but the three polish don't count cause they ain't so bright...then that leaves me with one chicken!!!Woot! Oh, wait, one polish is a roo so I already deducted him...can't be cheatin here...so I guess I only have two then! Hmmm...they sure are eating a lot of food...
sharon

 

[Cass]

Quote:
5, you always round it down...

no 4, because it would be best to round it down to even numbers.

True, you can never have an odd number of chickens. They move fast, so you have to count them by 2's. So any remainders don't count.

 

[Bubbles_erin]

Yes love that chicken math!!

Lets see, I started with 10 Amaraucanas, one went missing, four were killed by neighborhood dogs. I had 5 left. 4 were male, one female. The boys went to freezer camp, only have the pullet left. She is my only egg layer. Count 1.

Then, not wanting just an egg a day since I got into chickens for eggs. I ordered 10 RIRs from a joint order with a local, one had a piece of wood fall on her head and knocked her cold out, she was good eating but I was bummed. Still have 9, none lay eggs yet...so dont count!!

So wanting to fill the freezer with "real" meaties, I got 25 cornish x (they sent an extra 2) and 5 RIR pullets, and one RIR cockerel (they sent an extra)....one RIR got squished by the turkeys and was killed

ugh!!! another my daughter wanted to catch, used a jug I take food in when I go to the birds, and she hid it. We searched every where for the missing bird at nigh night time...then the next day I realized what "could" have happened and went to look for the jug, found deceased baby...wahhhhhh

lets just say she wont do that again......long story short down a few RIRs, but NONE of them count since they are still chicks!!

SOOOO my math is I have ONE!! hehe...I need to be getting me some more I think

e she is gonna get lonely

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The Chicken Math that can be defined is NOT the true Chicken Math!

 

[Funsizeracing]

My definition constantly changes but so far it goes like this. Chicken Math= # of chicks I wanted+ # "They" said will die + the # the hatchery sells them in. Or something like that anyway.

I wanted 2 hens, "They" (whoever "they" are) said if I want 2 I'd better get 4 because 2 will die. The hatchery only sold in quantities of 5. Now I have 5 happy EE hens.

I want to add one silkie and one maran to the flock this summer. So I'm ordering 5 silkies, 5 marans and 5 EE.

I intended to get 2 and got 5. I want 2 more (7) and am going to end up with 20.

Then I went to Orschelns and saw the ducks. I must add a duck. It needs a friend so better make it two ducks.

Now, the SO says I have 10 pets. 1 dog, 2 cats, 1 chinchilla, 5 hens and a turtle. My chicken math says I only have 5 pets. Dog, cat, chin, hen and turtle. And, if I add two ducks that's still 5 because ducks are fowl (therefore included in with chickens).

So I have 5 pets

Wish the SO loved the animals like me, but it's probably best he doesn't. I would end up on that animal hoarder show if it wasn't for him

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

what chickens? Me to husband: WE need to start the new aviary. Him: Why? Me: because eggs are hatching, ducks are ordered and I need breeding pens for the quail before they arrive. Oh and by the way hun, I am starting a call duck project, and a chicken project flock.

So 23 plus, plus, plus,plus = what chickens, ducks, quail?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The original chicken math started like this:

Amongst the old time poultry breeders the rule of thumb was that you set five eggs for every pullet you wanted to lay. An 80% hatch rate was considered acceptable so take one egg away from the five. Now you're gonna get half roosters on average in every hatch so take away two more eggs. Now you're left with just two eggs to produce your pullets from. But it takes at least twenty weeks to get a pullet to point of lay and one may die somewhere along the way so now you're down to just that one egg.

If you want twenty hens in your flock you have to set at least 100 eggs!

Over the decades things have gone sort of haywire from there, but that's chicken math for you.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

A.T. Hagan :

The original chicken math started like this:

Amongst the old time poultry breeders the rule of thumb was that you set five eggs for every pullet you wanted to lay. An 80% hatch rate was considered acceptable so take one egg away from the five. Now you're gonna get half roosters on average in every hatch so take away two more eggs. Now you're left with just two eggs to produce your pullets from. But it takes at least twenty weeks to get a pullet to point of lay and one may die somewhere along the way so now you're down to just that one egg.

If you want twenty hens in your flock you have to set at least 100 eggs!

Over the decades things have gone sort of haywire from there, but that's chicken math for you.