Topic of the Week - I wish I knew…

[Farm boy 14]

I wish I knew not to name those that were going to be eaten.

 

[Srgra237]

I wish I knew not to name those that were going to be eaten.

Exactly...lol

 

[sylviethecochin]

What is chicken math and biosecurity? ty

Chicken math:

You buy six chicks from tractor supply. But one died. But you wanted six. But TSC has a minimum to buy, so when you go to replace the one, you have to get six more--eleven chicks.

You find that your coop's not big enough and get a larger/add one to the existing one, and look for homes for your extra peeps. But four of them are special, and you feel guilty for not liking the remaining two. You keep them all.

One (your favorite, naturally) turns out to be a rooster. Okay, we can keep him. He's cute. He's my favorite. It's just one chicken.

And then one of your hens goes broody on a nest of eggs she hid. "Hey, why should I break her? I've got eggs, and it's about time to get more chicks"—and you build or separate off a new area for the broody hen, and now you have a new coop.

Upon candling, you find that all but one of her dozen eggs are developing. You feel like a murderer if you destroy the eggs. You let her keep them all. Eleven chicks hatch out. Seven are roosters, and you know you have to get rid of them because of breeding ratios.

But no one will take your boys for pets and you don't want them to be butchered. You keep them in the broody coop. A year later. their sisters, who take after their mum, go broody one by one.

You now have fifty-eight chickens (and the peeps don't count in chicken math. Peeps never do.) Congratulations. It took you four years.


Biosecurity: the practice of not buying random birds or travelling to random farms because the birds probably contain and will spread diseases your flock does not have, thus making your flock sick.

 

[TheLaboratoryBF]

I wish I'd known how common it is for a hen to take on rooster traits in an all-female flock...like pseudo-crowing at 5:30am.

 

[MROO]

what is chicken math?

1. You get four peeps from your local breeder/feed store. One dies...
2. You go back for a replacement, but there's a minimum, so you end up with four more...
3. Three of those turn out to be male and you need hens, so you buy some "sexed pullets." Remember that four-chick minimum? ...
4. Your larger-than-anticipated flock now needs a bigger coop and run, so you expand everything, which leaves you some space ... just in case someone goes broody...
5. Your broody hatches her first clutch, which you immediately fall in love with and decide you need to keep ... but only two, which turn out to both be cockerels ... see bullet #3 ...

THAT'S Chicken Math ...

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

thanks for the good info. I am infected by CM, Chicken Math...and was looking where to pick up a couple more. Great to know about the problems it causes. you all saved my babies.

 

[Blooie]

Here's another example of chicken math:

You order 22 chicks. You lose 4, you add 6. You're still up to too many.

You fall in love with a breed you don't have. You gave away 6 layers to a wonderful lady who lost her flock and needs to replace them to help feed her family. You are now able to get some of the longed for breed. Subtraction.

You don't like them as much as you thought you would, so when you are asked if you'd part with them you jump at it. You're now back to your original number. Addition followed by subtraction.

Some of your original flock are falling victim to their age and the fact that many production hybrids are only at their peak for a couple of years and then dwindle down. You separate out and process 8 of them. You are now down to 2 less than your original number. Division

Enablers on BYC encourage you to try incubating, since you are so "into" chickens, win several hatching eggs, and mess every one of them up. No harm, no fowl. You're heartbroken but even. Mental addition and physical subtraction.

Those enablers encourage you to try again. You successfully hatch out 9 eggs. All 9 of them turn out to be roosters. Yep. One dies as a result of a stupid accident that you could have prevented. You are now at....oh, the heck with it - I've thoroughly confused myself at this point. Multiplication.

You get old and you get kinda sick. You have to rehome your entire flock. A super nice guy comes along and wants them all, and they have a great new place. You, however, have an empty coop and run. You turn the setup in to a greenhouse and come back to BYC. You now have millions of chickens and you don't have to lift a finger. Win WIN!

 

[Chicken-Boy]

Honestly, chicken math is killer...

 

[Fluffy&Cutie]

enablers, that's the best!

 

[MROO]

No harm, no fowl.

LOVE IT!