The CHICKEN MATH Contest- Who has the worst case?

[stevodod]

Oh I am a victim!

Wanted 6 laying hens.

Got 6 at tractor supply. Found out that tractor supply only sells in lots of 6, but was having a new shipment come in- got 6 more. They were all doing fine, but then started finding out about all different types of breeds and egg colors, so started 'collecting'

2 cuckoo marans

10 Cornish Rock cross

1 Barred rock
1 Silver Laced Wyndotte
4 Lavender Orpingtons
9 RIR's
1 Ancona
2 Jersey Giant crosses
2 Australorps
2 Buff Orpingtons....

And the madness stopped. Culled and ate the 10 Cornish rock. Traded the RIR's for the Jersey Giant crosses. Will be trading DOWN big time. At the worst, we had 41 chickens.

Now we're down to 26, but will be going down from there.

Decided I LOVE Australorps and Speckled Sussex, plus Buff Orps. The rest are going bye bye.

Plan to keep a flock of no more than 20.

 

[earlybird10842]

origanal: 5
eventual number: 10
case: mild

 

[appps]

Went to pick up 3 got 4. Rehomed one rooster And decided to replace with three more, came home with 4 again (supposed to be one each for the kids but just had to get one extra for me

So somehow 3 turned into 7. Already wondering what council rule is on maximum though so at the moment just a mild case but give me time lol

 

[Rnbwbrite1207]

I planned for four to six. I started with twelve then sold eight. Got four more. Then four more. (Because I have no self control) then I got three bantams but two died so I had to find someone with a chick about the same age to keep her company. So then culled five. Right now I have nine. However six are coming the end of June from one incubator and as many as six from another. Then a possible ten more in July.but that will end my chick hatching days. So I planned four to six. And will have twenty seven ish. My case is moderate but still frightening to my husband.

 

[CandaceD]

Thank you. Now I can qualify my obsession. I now know my little hobby is severe headed toward extreme.

A few.
48.
Because chickens are like potato chips....

 

[CinnamonQueen]

Actually, I got 2 month old pullets back in April. 1 accidental Black sexlink and an Australorp. If we had more room, I would already be up to a severe case.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Okay here's my chicken math...and honestly it is fuzzy...

Wanted 4 chicks, got 4 chicks, 4 years ago...oh no...the chicken coop burned down in winter...lost all hens and all sense of math.

Badly disappointed, hubby sweetly rebuilds the coop. Spring chicks arrive at the feed store. We decided 6 chickens would be better as we didn't have enough eggs with 4 hens, so got 10 chicks just to be sure in case some didn't make it...all flourished, gave away one rooster...so that came to 9 hens.

Ooooh...got too many Buff Orpingtons in that batch.. go to the chicken swap to sell 3 of those outright but trade for 3 instead (NHR, Black Star, Gold Star). Still 9 hens.

Okay, new spring, simply must keep refreshing the flock you know, and we were needing more eggs as daughter was on a special gluten free allergy diet and the one thing she could eat plenty of was eggs, so that spring added 6 more sex linked chicks so no more effort wasted on roosters we'd have to re-home. Set up the heat lamp in the garage to watch better (????)....that made 15 chickens. Hubby builds 2nd coop.

Sell 3 Buff Orpingtons to purchase Silkie because I want to brood "naturally" for next spring as how dumb is a heat lamp left on all the time in the garage!!!!... because, you know, you have to refresh the flock. Come home with Silkie AND 2 Wellsummer/RIR mixes as told good layers. Number still 15....but I never count the Silkie as she is the "brooding hen" not a layer.

Good friend likes what she sees in my yard and starts a little backyard flock but a raccoon kills 2 of them broad daylight in front of her...she calls crying and asks me if I could take last remaining 2 hens who are huddled in fear as we speak...what could I say NO??? Of course not, add 2 rescue hens...now 17 (but remember that's only 16 hens as the Silkie is for BROODING and doesn't count).

Lost one of the rescues to odd respiratory disease that no one else gets. Down to 15 again (remember the Silkie doesn't count...she's just for brooding)...but if you must,,, uhm 16???

Hawk nails 1 hen. Netting goes up. Hen number is now down to 14 (remember Silkie doesn't count...and I only wanted 9...14 is closer to 9)...but if you must, now 15 hens.

February comes and Silkie goes broody, and you know, you have to refresh the laying flock Since I didn't have much faith that a hen could actually hatch a chick, I put 5 mutt eggs under the Silkie just to see if this was going to work. 3 eggs were viable and hatched...all pullets...flourished...but you know...they were mutts. Uhm...I think that's up to 18 now??? (er...17 as you know the Silkie doesn't count.)

Daughter is getting married and will move to a farm...says she THINKS she would like some of the chickens...decide to give oldest 4 layers (still laying good) and 1 mutt as a "farm warming" gift. But before they go, I simply can't let my egg count go down, I have friends who count on me and my eggs, and you know, you must refresh the flock, so hurry and purchase 2 six month old Wynadottes (only wanted 1) and 2 six month old Delawares (only wanted 1)....okay...math here...I think that goes up to 21 hens....daughter thankfully DOES take 5...so now down to 17 hens (but remember, the Silkie doesn't count)

Oh no, viral infection goes through flock! (Likely infectious bronchitis)!!!! Lose 1 Barred Rock hen. Down to 16,. er 17, or is that 15????...rest survive (and are regaining their old vigor) but laying is still down...and who knows how well they will lay again????? Oh dear, must have eggs, and you must refresh the flock you know....3 hens suddenly go broody (the Black Star and Wellsummers but NOT the Silkie mind you) and feed store just happens to have 14 fresh fertile eggs of pure breds that somebody backed out on sitting on the counter...Yup...they are under hens as we speak.

Oh dear...I've lost count in the math....

Whose beaks are in the coop????

2 Black Star, 4 Gold Star, 1 Barred Rock, 2 Wellsummer mix, 2 pullet mutts, 2 Buff Wynadottes, 2 Delawares, 1 Silkie (who remember doesn't count), and an assortment of fertilized eggs about half are developing for hatching next week...because you know, you must refresh the flock.

Lady of McCamley

UPDATE... the chicks have hatched so I have to update my number...5 adorable little fluffs...2 Speckled Sussex (I think), 1 Barred Rock, 1 EE Banty, and 1 unknown mix...oh dear... count is now officially up to 21....and that number is no where near 4!

At severe risk for a severe case I think...oh boy, it's probably time to figure out who is kept and who finds a new home! But that could take some time, you know, as I figure out who needs to stay to refresh the flock....

and who could not love that little beak?

Resigned to hopeless chicken math,
Lady of McCamley

 

[stevodod]

UPDATE... the chicks have hatched so I have to update my number...5 adorable little fluffs...2 Speckled Sussex (I think), 1 Barred Rock, 1 EE Banty, and 1 unknown mix...oh dear... count is now officially up to 21....and that number is no where near 4!

At severe risk for a severe case I think...oh boy, it's probably time to figure out who is kept and who finds a new home! But that could take some time, you know, as I figure out who needs to stay to refresh the flock....

and who could not love that little beak?

Resigned to hopeless chicken math,
Lady of McCamley

THAT sounds like us!!!!! We have neighbors that bought 9 in the spring and still have 9. My number fluctuates monthly!

 

[kbh82310]

My husband and I started with 4 and 3 weeks after having them ordered 4 more for 8/05 that is now 7. A month after placing the order we ordered 3 ducks for 8/05 which is now 4 then Tuesday we ordered 6 for 7/08 and I added 2 more that hubby doesn't know about so that makes 9. And finally last night I order 6 for 9/30. Some of the orders have the same birds but we are just making sure we had back up just incase someone didn't make it on the previous order cause their breeds were getting very limited. But after all said and done without the extras we are getting 19 chicks and 4 ducks and including their coop, 4 Meyer hatchery orders, building materials we spent almost 7 grand. I didn't even want chickens to start with and told hubby no more than 3 chickens and I don't want to spend more than $300 on everything.. Well it took having the chicks for about 1 day before I was in love and had to have more. Gotta love chicken math!

 

[jellybellyx6]

Our original plan was to get get 15-20 RIR hens and about 3 roosters. Ended up going to the auction and get 68 black cuckoo marans, 40 easter eggers, 30 RIR chicks, and 22 productions reds. That puts us at 150 chicks. Sold 10 easter eggers, all of the marans and production reds. That puts down to 70 chicks. We go to the swap meet and get three laying productions hens ( they were suppose to be RIR), 1 RIR hen, 1 RIR rooster, and 1 white crested black polish hen. Now we are up to 76 chickens. Trade the three Production red hens for 18 coturnix which puts us down to 73 chickens and 18 quail. Keep 6 quail and sell the rest of the quail. Go back to the auction get 20 more easter eggers and 20 New hampshire reds that were suppose to be RIRs. That puts us up to 113 chickens. And you would think it stops there but it doesn't now we are planing to get more.

What we are going to get

5 white crested black polish
6 Black copper marans
6 Wydonattes
6 partridge cochin bantams
6 spangled old english game
4 narragansett turkeys
4 blue slate turkeys
4 bourbon red turkeys
6 blue swedish ducks
6 rouen ducks
6 Royal purple quineas

so we were planing on 23 birds and are going to end up with a total of about 172 not counting the 16 quail we have. I think that may but us at the extreme.