Reverse Math (or Reverse Chicken Vacuum)

[heydeej]

I am well aware of chicken math, having been a victim myself, but I am now experiencing something completely different!

For 3 years now, I let my broody hatch a few eggs.
1st yr = 2 roos, 1 hen.....an adult hen died later that summer, 1 roo ran off
2nd yr = 2 roos, 1 hen....an adult hen died later that summer, my old roo died and the other new roo was given to a neighbor
this year = 1 hen.....an adult hen died
then a month later = 1 hen ...and another hen just died.

All the hens that died were less than 3 yrs old.

I know that there is a "cat vacuum' where if you have 5 cats and you get rid of 2, then 2 more will mysteriously appear to take their place. this is well known about feral cat colonies.
So now I'm thinkin' maybe I have a reverse vacuum.
I'm destined to have 10 hens and 2 roos.

Everytime I hatch a hen...a hen dies before the chick is even half grown.

I just thought this is weird and wondered if anyone else had reverse math going on?

 

[Kelsie2290]

I agree, it is exceedingly strange, mine seem to multiply exponentially. You are breaking some natural chicken related law, you should never be able to end up with less than twice as many chickens as you started with. You are aware now that you have posted this, that one of your hens will hide a nest and show up with 23 chicks next month.

 

[heydeej]

...that would mean 3 hens and 20 roosters, right?

 

[Kelsie2290]

According to normal chicken math, if you are expecting 23 chicks you should wind up with 46, plus or minus a few, usually plus, very very plus. . . in your case, since you have been using reverse math, the law of chicken averages will catch up with you and since you have ten hens, now if they all hide nests with the expected 23 chicks, that would 230 chicks, the normal ratio on found chickens seems to be about five roosters for every hen, lets use round numbers and say 40 pullets and 190 cockerels ... think you need a bigger coop.

 

[heydeej]

................