Pics and build of our family project!!!

[stubbie1111]

Look at what our girls gave us...... Our Very First Egg...... Some what small but the girls are still young..... Hopefully Many Many more to come!!!

 

[stubbie1111]

Well Thank God we made it through Hurricane Matthew with little to No damage to our home and property, and if you don't mind, I'd like to toot a horn here for my family as the chicken coop we just built is still standing tall and proud.... Thank you Lord!!!

 

[88sub4x4]

Absolutely amazing coop. You guys did a fantastic job! And that's great that they are laying in the nesting boxes already and not a corner somewhere.

 

[stubbie1111]

Absolutely amazing coop. You guys did a fantastic job! And that's great that they are laying in the nesting boxes already and not a corner somewhere.

Thanks....... it's been about 2 weeks and we've only got approx. 9 eggs, so I'm pretty sure they are not ALL laying yet.... Not sure how many we should expect though......

 

[88sub4x4]

Give it some time. They are still young. It takes a while before they start laying regularly, especially after the stress of a move.

 

[SuperK]

Yes, this is awesome! getting a head start on the coop is a god idea, but wait til the chicken math gets you-...... No one escapes Chicken Math.

 

[stubbie1111]

Yes, this is awesome! getting a head start on the coop is a god idea, but wait til the chicken math gets you-...... No one escapes Chicken Math.

Ok....ok....ok....ok............ I GIVE...... What is Chicken Math?

 

[SuperK]

Ok....ok....ok....ok............ I GIVE...... What is Chicken Math?

Stubbie1111, Chicken math is that branch of Mathematics where reality is compounded logrithmically to reach logical conclusions to questions which have no logical answer.

Many have pondered the following question deep and long, and though many of these have postulated their versions interpretation of an answer, the final solution is yet to be proven.
Example:

How many Chickens are enough?
First the Givens:

• I have a property that is 1 acre and I will allot 400 square feet to my chickens.
• I have to allot 4 square feet per bird for the coop
• And 10 square feet for each bird for the run
• For the 400 square feet this means I have room for 40 birds.
• I designed a coop that is 8' x 8' since lumber at the Big Box store is in standard lengths = 64 square feet. Divided by 4 = 16 birds !!!!!ERROR!!! 16 < 40
• Don't Panic- yet.
• When ordering chicks the Hatchery will usually include a few extra for dead loss in transit, but you can't count the extra you might get, so order 16.
• You want meat birds fast so you take the Internets advice on fast growing breeds and order 16 Cornish Cross chicks
• Mail comes and you get 20 fuzzy butts in a loud soggy box. !!!!! 20 > 16 !!!!!

Now the Variables:

• The Heat lamp you chose $$ gives you room for only 10 chicks at a distance that will not turn them into Hors D'ouevres or Chickcicles. !!!!!!ERROR!!!!! 10< 16 $$
• The Chick feeder you ordered for the Brooder (Soggy Box) will feed 25 chicks
• Brooder Box is too soggy- you need a drier place for your little guys/girls
• You get a standard Quart sized waterer- At one gallon per 50 chicks, and 4 quarts to a gallon, that is 12 1/2 chicks per quart

Solve process:
1. You have enough room in the coop you designed for the 16 Birds and the 64 sq ft coop will fit inside the Chicken Run dimensions--- WIN
Justifcation: None Needed- Smugness prevails!

2. You order 16 but get 20 chicks and 20 is > 16 = LOSE? --Nope! its a Win!
Justification: The extra 4 birds are Free as long as you don't loose any more than four and these little things are to small to need 4 square feet each in the coop! WIN!!! Smugness reinforced

3. Need a better drier brooder so you buy a Big Box Store version in a DIY box for 100$
Justification: They need to be safe and dry = $$$, Costly but a WIN!!!! Took a hit in the wallet, but it's good.....

4. your $$ Heat Lamp is too small for 16 birds (you still aren't counting the extra 4) so you buy another one. Another $$ out. Then you hear that an under bedding heater is better and get one for the chicks-$$
Justification: They need to be dry and warm and the under bedding heater is the latest thing and must be better. [Perceived] WIN!!!! less Smugness.

5. Feeder turns out to work for three days since they are Cornish Crosses, the out grow the Feeder, the Waterer, the New DIY Brooder Box, and are woking on stretching the 4 sq ft limit on the coop in just two weeks!!! You build another Brooder Box that is larger for $$$
Justification: You have been letting them out first DIY Brooder Box because they looked cramped in that little house. They got out and ruined your new White Berber carpeting the first night. In the two weeks it has taken you to finish the new Brooder Box, The Housekeeper's resignation on your desk is asking for an extra weeks severance to deal with the extra cleaning.$$$$
Justification: they are growing faster than there feathers! they need a bigger space and need to run during the day- they are little guys (relatively), how much poop can they create on a stained carpet anyway? WIN!!!!!!

PS- The replaced carpet cost $$$$, getting the stench of chicken poop out of the Concrete slab $$ and the hotel for the week it took for repairs, $$$$ All Smugness lost but you still have those cute( remember they are growing faster that they can feather!) little chicks. Well, now they are the size of minature ponies and eat more than a Pro Football franchise.

Final Answer:
How Many Chickens is enough?

There is no correct answer and it is a fool's folly to think there could be. Hippasus was a pupil of Pythagoras and was considered to be inventor of the concept of irrational numbers. No doubt he had chickens.

There is more on this subject by more learned minds than I, right here on the BYC forum, one thread is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/635341/understanding-chicken-math

Good luck on your foray into the feathered side!

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Don't forget the wire on the floor to keep digging predators out.

 

[stubbie1111]

Stubbie1111, Chicken math is that branch of Mathematics where reality is compounded logrithmically to reach logical conclusions to questions which have no logical answer.

Many have pondered the following question deep and long, and though many of these have postulated their versions interpretation of an answer, the final solution is yet to be proven.
Example:

How many Chickens are enough?
First the Givens:

• I have a property that is 1 acre and I will allot 400 square feet to my chickens.
• I have to allot 4 square feet per bird for the coop
• And 10 square feet for each bird for the run
• For the 400 square feet this means I have room for 40 birds.
• I designed a coop that is 8' x 8' since lumber at the Big Box store is in standard lengths = 64 square feet. Divided by 4 = 16 birds !!!!!ERROR!!! 16 < 40
• Don't Panic- yet.
• When ordering chicks the Hatchery will usually include a few extra for dead loss in transit, but you can't count the extra you might get, so order 16.
• You want meat birds fast so you take the Internets advice on fast growing breeds and order 16 Cornish Cross chicks
• Mail comes and you get 20 fuzzy butts in a loud soggy box. !!!!! 20 > 16 !!!!!

Now the Variables:

• The Heat lamp you chose $$ gives you room for only 10 chicks at a distance that will not turn them into Hors D'ouevres or Chickcicles. !!!!!!ERROR!!!!! 10< 16 $$
• The Chick feeder you ordered for the Brooder (Soggy Box) will feed 25 chicks
• Brooder Box is too soggy- you need a drier place for your little guys/girls
• You get a standard Quart sized waterer- At one gallon per 50 chicks, and 4 quarts to a gallon, that is 12 1/2 chicks per quart

Solve process:
1. You have enough room in the coop you designed for the 16 Birds and the 64 sq ft coop will fit inside the Chicken Run dimensions--- WIN
Justifcation: None Needed- Smugness prevails!

2. You order 16 but get 20 chicks and 20 is > 16 = LOSE? --Nope! its a Win!
Justification: The extra 4 birds are Free as long as you don't loose any more than four and these little things are to small to need 4 square feet each in the coop! WIN!!! Smugness reinforced

3. Need a better drier brooder so you buy a Big Box Store version in a DIY box for 100$
Justification: They need to be safe and dry = $$$, Costly but a WIN!!!! Took a hit in the wallet, but it's good.....

4. your $$ Heat Lamp is too small for 16 birds (you still aren't counting the extra 4) so you buy another one. Another $$ out. Then you hear that an under bedding heater is better and get one for the chicks-$$
Justification: They need to be dry and warm and the under bedding heater is the latest thing and must be better. [Perceived] WIN!!!! less Smugness.

5. Feeder turns out to work for three days since they are Cornish Crosses, the out grow the Feeder, the Waterer, the New DIY Brooder Box, and are woking on stretching the 4 sq ft limit on the coop in just two weeks!!! You build another Brooder Box that is larger for $$$
Justification: You have been letting them out first DIY Brooder Box because they looked cramped in that little house. They got out and ruined your new White Berber carpeting the first night. In the two weeks it has taken you to finish the new Brooder Box, The Housekeeper's resignation on your desk is asking for an extra weeks severance to deal with the extra cleaning.$$$$
Justification: they are growing faster than there feathers! they need a bigger space and need to run during the day- they are little guys (relatively), how much poop can they create on a stained carpet anyway? WIN!!!!!!

PS- The replaced carpet cost $$$$, getting the stench of chicken poop out of the Concrete slab $$ and the hotel for the week it took for repairs, $$$$ All Smugness lost but you still have those cute( remember they are growing faster that they can feather!) little chicks. Well, now they are the size of minature ponies and eat more than a Pro Football franchise.

Final Answer:
How Many Chickens is enough?

There is no correct answer and it is a fool's folly to think there could be. Hippasus was a pupil of Pythagoras and was considered to be inventor of the concept of irrational numbers. No doubt he had chickens.

There is more on this subject by more learned minds than I, right here on the BYC forum, one thread is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/635341/understanding-chicken-math

Good luck on your foray into the feathered side!

Ahhhhhh......... Toooooo Much!!!! I would have stopped at 1+1=2....... No Chicken Math for me!!!!