Suspicious of this Amberlink (Cockerel?)

[AlleysChicks]

Oh come on, don't tell me that! I already have more than I want! I asked a friend how many chicks to get and she said a dozen since they're fragile and some will die.

None of them have died. Not one. None of them have even come close! We have had no escapees, no injuries, the neighborhood roaming coonhound and husky give them only polite glances... they don't even bully one another. They all get along as meek as lambs. I was being told horror stories of chicks killing one another and cannibalizing each other. And now I have a dozen chickens when I only wanted five or six. Is this how it starts?

That’s what happened to me last year! I went in to look and decided to get 6 because that’s the minimum to buy here. The guy told me to buy a few extra because some will probably die and I’d be sad if I only had 2-3. So I bought 2 of each breed that caught my eye. None died. That was just the beginning lol

 

[MinervaELS]

x 2

To pullet or cockerel or chicken math?

That’s what happened to me last year! I went in to look and decided to get 6 because that’s the minimum to buy here. The guy told me to buy a few extra because some will probably die and I’d be sad if I only had 2-3. So I bought 2 of each breed that caught my eye. None died. That was just the beginning lol

I'm doomed. I was thinking that it would be cool to have some blue eggs, and that if I kept all twelve that I could give away eggs to friends, and that they keep the lawn short for me... I feel like justifications are probably part of chicken math.

 

[MinervaELS]

Actually chicken maths is the inexplicable science of increasing flock number. It involves a lot of addition and multiplication and the art of subtraction is rare and difficult.
It is how you start out with just 3 chickens and before you know where you are at, you have 20 or 40 or even 100+, or you don't really know how many you have, but it's a heck of a lot more than the 3 you started with and being unable to give a definitive answer when someone asks you how many you have now (and people do, with uneasy regularity.... they suspect chicken maths even though they haven't heard of it), is really just a means of easing your conscience! There is a force of nature involved which is extremely difficult to resist and it is governed by some sort of compulsive theory that no-one can totally define....... Beware of "chicken maths".... you have been warned!

PS. Where did you get these chicks. If it was TSC all bets are off as regards pullets as they have an impressive reputation for mixing chicks up and selling them as breeds and sexes they are not. That little chap with the red comb is a little boy in my book and I'm not overly sure about at least one of the others.

Uh oh. I think I already did some chicken maths when I was in the store and thinking that since I had white ones and brown ones it really would be nice to have some black ones as well to fill out the bunch, and that twelve was a nice round number and that some of them wouldn't make it anyway...

They did come from Tractor Supply, which is why I'm paranoid about them all being pullets. But I guess if they really are amberlinks and what I quoted is true then they must be female. Unless they aren't amberlinks.

 

[rebrascora]

Unless they aren't amberlinks.

Exactly! This was the point I was making. Time will tell!

Yes it sounds like you have natural ability at Chicken Maths.... although subtraction is the advanced stuff that eventually becomes a priority to master once the addition and multiplication has been perfected.

 

[AlleysChicks]

To pullet or cockerel or chicken math?



I'm doomed. I was thinking that it would be cool to have some blue eggs, and that if I kept all twelve that I could give away eggs to friends, and that they keep the lawn short for me... I feel like justifications are probably part of chicken math.

Green eggs are nice too. Oh and have you seen the chocolate ones?

Look, I’ll help you out just to give you ideas. It’s like Easter as a kid all over again! And there’s even other colors!

 

[Redhead Rae]

Green eggs are nice too. Oh and have you seen the chocolate ones?

Look, I’ll help you out just to give you ideas. It’s like Easter as a kid all over again! And there’s even other colors!
View attachment 1160792

Beware of the chicken math enablers like this one ^

 

[AlleysChicks]

Beware of the chicken math enablers like this one ^

Oh not me. I’m just helping out a fellow chicken person

 

[Redhead Rae]

Oh not me. I’m just helping out a fellow chicken person

Earlier this year, I had 83 chickens (in the mix described in my signature). I had people telling me I needed to get chocolate and colored egg layers. The chicken math enablers had me considering it well before even half of my chickens were laying. Now I have 40 hens who are laying or shortly will be and a freezer full of roosters. I think I should have enough room for a few colored and dark egg layers next year. IF I don't have too many hens go broody between now and then. I'm addicted to letting mamas hatch little fluff balls. So much easier than brooding them myself.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Earlier this year, I had 83 chickens (in the mix described in my signature). I had people telling me I needed to get chocolate and colored egg layers. The chicken math enablers had me considering it well before even half of my chickens were laying. Now I have 40 hens who are laying or shortly will be and a freezer full of roosters. I think I should have enough room for a few colored and dark egg layers next year. IF I don't have too many hens go broody between now and then. I'm addicted to letting mamas hatch little fluff balls. So much easier than brooding them myself.

I never knew I wanted other egg colors or chicken types until I seen the variety on here. Never liked the fluffy foot ones but I have 9 now lol

I like brooding my chicks. They get handled more. But Hawk is my first broody sooo maybe she’ll teach her babies to be calm and nice like her.

 

[JeanR]

When in doubt of sexes, I never worry---PATIENCE--cockerels will CROW. Pullets will lay eggs! Enjoy watching them all develop into lovely chickens!