We are just outside of Philly in MontCo. So chicken math happened again this year... wasn't gonna get anymore since we already have 6 healthy adult hens just over a year old (3 white leghorns, 2 golden comets, 1 RIR; getting 5-6 eggs per day so more than our family of 4 can eat per week) but now we are up to 15(!) chickens with the addition of 9 chicks of various breeds that are now 7 weeks old (1 ameraucana, 1 black sex-linked, 1 silver lace wyandotte, and 6 prairie bluebells (PBB)). There's a story around that... cause there's ALWAYS a story when it comes to chicken math!
In July, my aunt and I visited my great-aunt who is now 96. On the way home, we stopped at the
TSC to get layer pellets and mealworms. Saw the chicks and ducks, joked with the staff about not needing more, got our feed and went to checkout. One of the associates comes and asks if we are interested in a "broken chicken?" Ok, color me curious, how exactly does one have a broken chicken? Turns out one of the BSL was a splay leg and couldn't balance well enough to eat and groom. Since she's deformed, they can't sell her either. So was offered a free chick plus her companion, another BSL, if we'd be willing to take her home and give her a chance. You know what, why not, let's give it a go!
Take the poor thing home, clean her up, and release the poo plug that's built up (and there was a LOT of poo in a little body!), and set her and her buddy up in a brooder. Unfortunately, she doesn't last 24 hrs, I think there was just too much damage done that couldn't be reversed. So now we have a solo 1-week old BSL. Well, that's unacceptable! She needs company! So off to our local
TSC we go, hoping to find a couple of friends! Lookie here! They have silver lace wyandotte and prairie bluebell pullets! Since I've always wanted blue egg layers, we'll take 2 of each. Right, done, let's get more chick feed (since there are now 5 chicks, not 1), but... the associate helping me mentions the 4 straight-run PBBs that are getting too big for the holding tank behind them. If we're willing to take them, they'll sell them to us for $0.50 each. Ok, not bad, $2 for 4 more chicks, why not!? So now we are up to 8 new birds, but wait there's more! Had mentioned I've been wanting an ameraucana, so while getting feed and a bigger water container, am told there are ameraucana pullets in the back if we're interested... Well damn, I guess we are... so we swap out a wyandotte for the americuna and go to check out (for REAL this time, I swear!)
Get to the checkout counter and the cashier is ringing all of this up. Mentioned we were the $0.50 PBBs that the associate called up to let the front know about the discount. With a smile and wink, they are bumped down to $0.25 each. Now 4 chicks for $1!! Awesome right? Pay for our other supplies, chicks, and feed. Off we go to make our BSL a little less lonely.
Well, lo and behold, when checking the receipt 2 days later, the 4 other chicks (ameraucana, wyandotte, 2 PBB pullets) weren't on there and I guess we didn't get charged for them!? So it was now 8 chicks for $1 plus the free BSL for helping the broken chicken. And that is how chicken math works to get 9 chicks for $1!!!