Way too early and a little silly...

[WhySayWhat]

So I now have 3 little chicks growing up in my laundry room...they're a whopping 2 weeks old today and I'm already thinking of next year's hatch!

I have "room" on my property for 2 more legally, and would really like to get a little more "color" in my eggs. I have 2 SLW and 1 BR, so I'll be getting all brown eggs come August or so. I want to end up with at least 1 EE (or better yet, an Aracona or Ameraucana!) and 1 BCM next year to add some "fun" color. My question though, is how many eggs should I let my girls (I don't want to incubate) sit on if/when they go broody to get that? I know it's a "poo" shoot that I'll get any pullets or even if the eggs would hatch at all...but what's a good number of eggs to let them have, knowing I'll only keep 2 at the most, and no roos?

I don't even know if any one near me (I don't want to worry about shipped eggs) has the breeds I'm looking for...I figured I'd cross that bridge after next winter, lol. Mostly because I have to convince my SO that spending that much on eggs is worth it first, lol. I know there's a breeder of one of them (I forget which) fairly close...but I was informed I "couldn't afford her eggs", lol.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Between now and then, you can probably find a BYC member that lives close to you and will provide some hatching eggs. Check on your state thread in the "Where am I? Where are you?" section. I bet you find somebody within driving distance. There is no guarantee that any of your hens will go broody, but it would be nice to have somebody lined up so you can react fairly quickly if it happens.

What you want to set are eggs the same color you are looking for. There is no guarantee that is what you will get if they hatch, but it's the best option I know. I hatched 4 pullets from green eggs. Their father was not an EE. Only one of the four laid green eggs. The others were pinkish or light brown. The same type of thing can happen from Maran eggs. They are not always really dark brown. If you can get the eggs from a flock where mother and father are both from hens that lay eggs the way you want, your odds go way up.

Speaking of odds. You really don't know how many will hatch under a broody. There are so many things that go into it, but I'd think if you pick the eggs up instead of shipping them, you will get a pretty good hatch rate. I'd suggest setting three of each kind, hoping to get two of each to hatch. You do need a plan to get rid of the excess and any roosters.

The reason I would shoot for two chicks is that your odds are actually real good at getting at least one pullet from two chicks. If you only hatch one chick, the odds are 50%-50% that one is a pullet. But if you have two, the odds are that 3 to 1 that you get at least one pullet. Let me explain. If you have two chicks, you can have the first egg be a pullet or rooster. The second egg could be a pullet or rooster. So you could have

1st egg 2nd egg
Pullet Pullet
Pullet Rooster
Rooster Pullet
Rooster Rooster

In three of these four possibilities, you get at least one pullet.

There is no guarantee in any of this, it is just the odds, but maybe this will help. Good luck!

 

[WhySayWhat]

I'm a total statistics junky.

I was just wondering what other people would set under those conditions.

I actually have a little spreadsheet going already, but was unsure about how many eggs I should shoot for. I have a few plan ideas for getting rid of "extras" already as well, one of which is to con my neighbors into taking them, lol. (That won't really happen, so CraigsList and BYC are probably my best options.)

 

[slickchik]

So here is my experience...

five chicks hatch = five roosters

five chicks hatch = four roosters, one hen

two chicks hatch = two roosters

Good luck with those stats

 

[Cattitude]

You have been infected by the C. hatchaholis permanensius virus! It's incurable and terminal! And we love having it!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just to put up my last three hatches.

17 chicks - 9 pullets & 8 roosters
15 chicks - 10 pullets and 5 roosters
4 chicks - 2 pullets and 2 roosters.

Statistics are statistics. Odds are odds. If you get a statistically relevent number of hatches, the odds will work out, but if you only have a few to work with, anything can happen. A lot of people would be happy with my results, but I raise them mostly for meat. I'd really prefer more roosters. Maybe this year.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Yep, and I know my luck...I'm gonna hatch all roos, lol. I figure if I'm really lucky.... I may get three tries at hatching eggs next year. But, that's only if all three of my current chicks go broody, lol. I figure after a shot or two, I may just find someone hatching and willing to sell a couple of chicks to me, lol.

And no, no chicken math for me, lol. I can only legally have 5, we started with 3 so that I could do it this way.

At least, no chicken math until I can convince the other half that we need to go buy several acres out where no one (but him) can tell me what kind or how many pets I can have)! But, I don't se that happening any time soon, lol, we owe more on our house than it is currently worth! There is a very slight chance that we may have to move to an area near Seattle though (extremely remote chance)...if that happens, I will insist on a larger piece ofproperty so I can have a few more chickens!

 

[slickchik]

Sometimes chicken math is dangerous and illegal

Just saying..

 

[WhySayWhat]

Lol!

Well, I guess I "could" run a chicken breeding program in my laundry room...the city doesn't actually count a chicken as a pet or farm animal until it's over 12 weeks old, lol. But, since I have a SO to answer to (and he doesn't want anything to do with the chickens)...I have to stay within my set limits.