chicken math

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 5:54 am

I've got a half dozen 'chicken math ' stories, not sure which is the best one...Except maybe the time I got 20 hatchery leghorn roosters, because they were free...And ended up moving because neighbours complained about the noise and I discovered I wasn't allowed chickens at all, and meanwhile I had a dozen aging laying hens, a dozen meat turkey poults, a dozen Pekin ducklings, 25 broiler chicks and a pot bellied pig. So, I bought a chunk of land and made 2 little coops, plus a big one, half for the turkeys and half for the extra roosters, and a big one for the ducks and overflow chickens. And then two more coops for the chickens, and then pig pens, then we ran out of pasture so we moved again to a place with a barn. I decided it was best if I stopped counting the birds except when extras go in the freezer...But if I was forced to guess, there's probably about 150 birds including chickens, geese, muscovies, and one lone duck. Plus pigs, goats and cows. The barn is now getting crowded and there has been some talk of converting the hayloft and/or building some sheds :D

ChickenLittle · Post by **ChickenLittle** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:35 am

We have SO many ticks. Put the dog on her tie out the other evening and came in with one. Guinneas are on my list of wants but I hear they are SO loud. Plus I am not sure that my dog wouldn't eat them.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 9:13 am

JimW wrote:QR_BBPOST Man I am full of good ideas, though my wife has another name, not good ideas.

Jump ahead 3 years to now, I don't have my original 12 birds (negative chicken math) but my number of birds has grown slightly beyond the original 12..... currently we have 45 adult chickens, 10 turkeys and 5 quail. Plus 25 chicks, 40 more chicks on order and 160 eggs in the incubators. Wow that seems like I lot when I type it. lol Or well I was always good at math

There should be a special place in heaven for the partners who don't share the passion, but cheerfully tolerate it.

Post by **thegawd** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 9:48 am

Hahahaha lets just say I've had a lot more than I do right now. LOL! math is fun but unless theres some sort of bylaw forcing me to count them then I'm not guna. Chickens just run around to fast to count them effectively. LOL I keep track of the money I spend on them though.

Skinny rooster · Post by **Skinny rooster** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:00 pm

Well I have stories from the past as well, the biggest being two years ago with over 200 chickens counting everything plus 44 call ducks and about 28 rabbits. Fast forward to last fall and for about three weeks I had nothing because I am supposed to be selling the farm. However I couldn't stand that I had nothing so got three bantams over the winter, now I am up to 13 birds and one rabbit. My way to justify this is first, I respect OC's knowledge and she told me if I keep feed too long it will lose its value (yes you are partly to blame OC lol) so I need more birds to eat the feed. Second they are all really young or bantams so not a lot of work. Third they all went dirt cheap at their sales so I am giving them a happy home away from the soup guy plus I love a good deal. Fourth, they get me out side when I don't want to go out. Fifth, I really like chickens so it's a fun hobby. Plus with this small group I can just give them away if I need to move them out in a hurry. I am not attached to them as if I was breeding them for years. So that's how I justified getting chickens back. Now of course I need a few more because 13 is not a good number. The incubator should take care of that lol. Maybe some ducks also for variety, the small ones.

tcamp · Post by **tcamp** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:48 pm

When my husband convinced me to move into town (THAT lasted a year, even though we had built a brand new house) But anyway, back to the story...I built a shed...and I built a coop in said shed. Then before I bought chickens I tested the neighbours reactions, by telling the whole block my plan to house chickens in this pristine brand new neighbourhood.
I had a couple of them come back to me about bi-laws...and was told in no uncertain terms that I could not have chickens in the neighbourhood. So I suggested that if they weren't happy about a few hens strutting about in a fenced run, then maybe i would raise pigeons instead, that could fly free during the day,

on all those nice new cars and roofs. I told them about how they could train the pigeons to stay off their things by throwing tennis balls at them a few times. And I also reminded them that there are no bylaws against pigeons :P
After a little thought, the neighbours started inquiring about when I was going to have chicken eggs for sale :P That ended that issue, but the fun ended there because I moved back to the country before Freys opened their chick orders for the season. lol

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:30 pm

Skinny rooster wrote:QR_BBPOST Second they are all really young or bantams so not a lot of work. Third they all went dirt cheap at their sales so I am giving them a happy home away from the soup guy plus I love a good deal. Fourth, they get me out side when I don't want to go out. Fifth, I really like chickens so it's a fun hobby. Plus with this small group I can just give them away if I need to move them out in a hurry. I am not attached to them as if I was breeding them for years. So that's how I justified getting chickens back. Now of course I need a few more because 13 is not a good number. The incubator should take care of that lol. Maybe some ducks also for variety, the small ones.

Can't fault any of that reasoning, that's for sure...

goatgal35 · Post by **goatgal35** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:05 am

I have had chickens on and off for 44 years. As a young couple my hubby and I managed a broiler farm with 96,000 birds. We didn't do that very long. Raising birds that way was not for us. Jump ahead a few years and we are buying a little hobby farm with a dozen white leghorn hens for eggs and a trio of bronze turkeys to raise up future Christmas dinners. Then we added some meat chicks and 2 dozen Ringneck pheasants, because they are yummy. Then our kids started to get involved, so along came ducklings, peafowl, and a few OEG Bantams. Then the kids started showing fairs and then I started a 4-H poultry club. Now I am the chairperson of the poultry committee for our local fair and I get to look after the fair show of about 1100 entries every fall.
We have decided to cut WAY back this year so we can revamp everything while we are still young enough to do the work. We have spent to many years just adding on to existing coops and pens. When I say we're cutting way back I mean we're down to about 150 birds from over 300. Yes I am a chicken-o-holic and proud of it. I have a 60 gallon fish tank set up as a broader in my living room for the "grandkids"

Post by **Killerbunny** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 2:25 pm

This winter we put underfloor heating and tile in the downstairs bathroom. HUbby then said "wonder if it will work as a brooder room"?

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:03 pm

WLLady wrote:QR_BBPOST i started with an order from freys i have no clue how many years ago. the box arrived with 10 pullets and 2 packing peanuts (2 more pullets)...so 12 birds. i had built a little portable trailer coop, 8x4 with nesting boxes and a ramp to outside and a plug in for hydro....
then came the 8x12 coop. then the other 8x12 coop. then a 30x60 barn...with a loft....and 15 pens.....and 3 stalls for turkeys, and 2 stalls for horses.....

I think this kind of effort moves you ahead of class in to "Higher math" group