Chicken Math

[baymule]

I started with 2 laying hens in July 2010. I conned DH into chickens, promising to only get 2..... Since I only got 2, I wanted eye candy and I got Silver Laced Wyandottes. They were 18 months old when we bought them, but I didn't care, I wanted eggs NOW and didn't want to start with chicks.

Then spring of 2011 rolled around. I had been softening DH up by telling him that our then 3 year old grand daughter "needed" baby chicks. DD, DSIL and our perfect grand daughter spent their spring break with us. I grabbed the grand daughter and took off to the feed store. We came back with 6 chicks, 3 black sex links and 3 red sex links. I figured that I would be going back for more, thinking that the 3 year old would more than likely "play" with them to death, but she was very careful and they all 6 survived.

I was happy with my 8 hens...... then my mom had a stroke and my darling DH told me to quit my job and care for my mom. I decided to get more chicks. I added on a 12'x8' run to make more room for more hens. I ordered chicks from a local lady and they hatched Christmas day. Again, I took our now 5 year old grand daughter and we went to get chicks. We came back with 20 of them. We had prepared the large dog kennel cage by wrapping the wire with cardboard to keep the chicks from walking through the holes in the wire. She got to play with them for a week before she had to go home. She was in baby chick utopia.

Parker, our goofy black Lab/Great Dane was enchanted with the babies. He wanted to lick and love them!

Out of 20 chicks, 8 turned out to be roosters. They got a one way ticket to freezer camp. A few have traveled a little further to a pot of dumplings. So that left me with 12 chicks, one of which was really different. I couldn't decide if it was a roo or a pullet. It was blue, with red splotches, blind in one eye, and retarded. By the time it became apparent that it was a rooster, I had got attached and couldn't butcher him. I made a deal with our hay guy, swapping hay for 4 pullets and the retarded rooster. Now I was down to 7 pullets from the 20 chicks, plus the 8 laying hens for a total of 15 chickens. Hmmmm........

A friend of mine found Silver Laced Wyandotte chicks at a feed store, bought some and split them with me. I got 7 chicks. Once again, it just happened to be a weekend when we had our grand daughter. She was thrilled to get more chicks! Now I had a total of 21 chickens. Two of the SLW chicks look like they will be roos, so they'll have to go. That will leave me with 19 chickens.........

I HATE odd numbers.............

 

[MontyJ]

I mentioned chicken math to DW. She broke my calculator

 

[ninnymary]

Isn't it great to have a granddaughter to use as leverage to get what we want! Whenever I need new plants or something for my garden, I tell my husband that Olivia would love it! and I get it! She's the apple of his eye.

Mary

 

[bj taylor]

I need a granddaughter to help me out with dh. dh has been remarkably tolerant, but I can see that look in his eye that tells me he's doubting my sanity.

 

[journey11]

I was hoping for lots of subtraction in my flock, but about 3/4ths of my 6 week old straight-run EEs look to be pullets. I guess I can sell the extras... I built my new coop to only accomodate up to 8 birds, because I sure know how that chicken math works!!

I had to let my DD play with the chicks a little too. I know they are fragile, but what's the fun of having them if you can't cuddle them now and then? They're most enticing when they are small and fluffy.

 

[baymule]

The more your DD plays with them, the better. They will be calmer and not so flighty. I can pick up most of mine out in the yard with no fuss. i do have my scatter brained hens too, but handling them as chicks sure helps.

 

[baymule]

More chicken math!! I got to 21 chickens.........saw an ad in July in Craigslist for Redstar pullets.........had to have some. DH drove me to a town about an hour away and we came home with 6 Redstars. That put me at 27 hens........

Today DH and I drove 1 1/2 hours one way for 6 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes......I am now at 33.......I have a disease........

Tomorrow a friend is coming to buy 3 hens.........that will bring me down to only 30 hens!

I have 8 very old hens that need to hit the stew pot.........that needs to happen this week. That would bring me down to 22 hens.....

One of those old hens is a special pet, so she gets to stay.....that will make 23 hens--but she doesn't really count because she doesn't lay much anymore.....so really I'm back at 22 hens, RIGHT????

22hens?? That's not enough!! I really need to go get some more chickens..............

 

[NwMtGardener]

Hahaha, that's awesome! "too many!" "not enough!"

 

[journey11]

How funny. I love the looks of those blue laced red wyandottes and I'd love to have some one day. So pretty!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i also love the color of the blue laced red's, even love the silver laced. but really didn't like the attitudes and loudness of the wyandotte hens i had my first year. they were also very mean to my other breeds in the flock. picked on my cochins and especially loved picking on my faverolles. those 3 hens had to go! and out the door they went! i'd love to get my hands on some of the blue laced red and silver laced brahma's i've seen being worked on. i liked that breed when i had them.