Ordering extra chicks?

[From the North]

So, everyone around here (and by that I mean my family and friends, none of whom have ever owned a chicken) says that I'm supposed to order twice as many chicks as I want hens, because it's likely half will die. My husband seems keen on following this advice while I have a little more confidence in my ability to keep these critters alive.

I was thinking I want about 6 hens.

Husband says we should order 12 chicks.

I say we should just order 8 and we can add more next year if needed.

Husband says we can just eat any extras once they grow up.

I have little confidence in my/our ability to slaughter any, at this stage in the game (I certainly don't want to count on being able to!).

Thoughts?

 

[bamachicks8]

Well one thing is if your ordering St. Run I would
Some extras I'm case of roos but it never hurts to order extra if you feel you can't slaughter them you can have a local butcher do this or if you don't want the killed at all you can always rehome or sell them to like minded people besides when chicken math sets in you will be glad you ordered extras

 

[donrae]

Oh good heavens! No one has a fifty percent mortality rate unless something is way, way wrong. That's just silly. My mortality rate with shipped chicks is more like 2% over the last ten years, and my mortality rate from buying day old chicks from a feed store would be nill except I didn't realize a rat was in the barn and it killed three chicks.

On the other hand, many here would love to have their honey's blessing to order more chicks!

There's a well-researched principle here called Chicken Math, where intending to have six hens winds up as having 35, but most don't really count cause they're babies, or older hens not currently laying, or young roosters.......you get the idea!

So, order sexed pullets, go ahead and get the dozen. If you raise them all up and really don't want that many, or have enough space, don't eat them! Sell them to offset your costs. Started pullets go from $10 up depending on where you live.

 

[SoftBoiled]

Quote:
Thank you donrae. Somebirdy told me that I suffered from Chicken Math and I didn't know what it was.
Now I'm a well-researched principle victim

SoftBoiled

 

[From the North]

Thanks all! Pullets are not available (my husband wants chicks anyways - because they are cute and we can take pictures ) and I'm super happy that he's on board with this, but I don't want to get overwhelmed right away with more chickens than I can care for.

If only he had this attitude when it came to the horses... sigh...