thistlebloom
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I am always scanning CL, and got my last two batches of point of lay pullets from there.
Chicken Math strikes again
- Thread starter canesisters
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canesisters
Garden Master
I'm trying to not count my chicks before they're hatched (or even laid).
There are 24 possible breeds in the '25 chick - heavy breed assortment' of which, I get 12. The person I'm splitting the order with breeds Dorkings so I've agreed that if any of the assortment are dorkings, they go to her. It's just as possible that I'll go home with a few of some breeds that I really wanted but didn't want to pay for (like Orloffs or Welsummers or Cuckoo Marans) - as it is that I'll go home with a couple handfulls of Rhode Island Reds or Whites or Australorps (the 3 breeds I'm hoping to not get). It's equally possible that I'll go home with 12 males. Which is, I suppose why the assortments are priced the same as most hatcheries' meat birds.
The original 8 that I started out ordering will - I HOPE - result in at least 4 females... but who knows.
It's a 'Chick Adventure' - which has just made me think of the book series about the Sister Chicks - has anyone read any of them?
There are 24 possible breeds in the '25 chick - heavy breed assortment' of which, I get 12. The person I'm splitting the order with breeds Dorkings so I've agreed that if any of the assortment are dorkings, they go to her. It's just as possible that I'll go home with a few of some breeds that I really wanted but didn't want to pay for (like Orloffs or Welsummers or Cuckoo Marans) - as it is that I'll go home with a couple handfulls of Rhode Island Reds or Whites or Australorps (the 3 breeds I'm hoping to not get). It's equally possible that I'll go home with 12 males. Which is, I suppose why the assortments are priced the same as most hatcheries' meat birds.
The original 8 that I started out ordering will - I HOPE - result in at least 4 females... but who knows.
It's a 'Chick Adventure' - which has just made me think of the book series about the Sister Chicks - has anyone read any of them?
Ridgerunner
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Just out of curiosity, which assortment and which hatchery is it? I thought it might be McMurray's straight run assortment but I don't see some of your rare breeds mentioned as possibilities.
The only straight run chicks I've ever ordered was in one order from Cackle many years back. I ordered 6 straight run Speckled Sussex and got 4 males and 2 females. I also ordered 6 Buff Orpington straight run and got 0 males and 7 females. Occasionally some hatcheries throw in an extra chick in case one dies en route and this extra straight run was also a female. What are the odds of that happening, 7 out of 6? Of the 15 pullets I ordered with the straight runs, 1 was male and 14 were female. That's more like what I expected.
You can never tell with straight run what you will get. Here's hoping you get the split you want.
The only straight run chicks I've ever ordered was in one order from Cackle many years back. I ordered 6 straight run Speckled Sussex and got 4 males and 2 females. I also ordered 6 Buff Orpington straight run and got 0 males and 7 females. Occasionally some hatcheries throw in an extra chick in case one dies en route and this extra straight run was also a female. What are the odds of that happening, 7 out of 6? Of the 15 pullets I ordered with the straight runs, 1 was male and 14 were female. That's more like what I expected.
You can never tell with straight run what you will get. Here's hoping you get the split you want.
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canesisters
Garden Master
It's Sandhill Preservation Center and the 'Heavy Assortment'.
All orders have to be in multiples of 25 and are straight run.
Our original order was: 10 dorkings for one person, 4 blue jersey giants and 4 exchquer leghorns for me, and 7 from the 'light breed assortment' for someone else.
The 'extra' order is 1/2 for the dorking breeder to take to the swap meet and 1/2 for me to (hopefully) pick up a few 'suprise' breeds.
All orders have to be in multiples of 25 and are straight run.
Our original order was: 10 dorkings for one person, 4 blue jersey giants and 4 exchquer leghorns for me, and 7 from the 'light breed assortment' for someone else.
The 'extra' order is 1/2 for the dorking breeder to take to the swap meet and 1/2 for me to (hopefully) pick up a few 'suprise' breeds.
Ridgerunner
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Blue jersey giants and exchequer leghorns! You do like some strange ones, don't you?
Looking at that list, you do have a chance to get some really rare breeds. Good luck! And good luck figuring out what you do get.
Looking at that list, you do have a chance to get some really rare breeds. Good luck! And good luck figuring out what you do get.
baymule
Garden Master
I am looking at Sandhill for Delaware chicks. I am taking my motley flock with me, but want to switch over to Delawares. @canesisters have you ordered from Sandhill Preservation Center before?
journey11
Garden Master
Sounds like an interesting gamble. We can't wait to see what you get. 
I'm going to google those exchequer leghorns...never heard of them before.
I was looking at what I wanted to order for 2015 from MMH and I started to get straight run because I feel a bit ethically better about buying them that way. I did that last year with my EE's and got 8 out of 15 that were female. BUT THEN I calculated up what it would be to just go ahead and get the exact number of females I wanted and it was a LOT cheaper. I'm doing meat birds again this year, so I don't want to mess with the extra roos from the layers since I currently don't have anywhere to put them and won't really need them for the freezer.
My hardest dilemma in chicken math is multiplying by the number of different breeds I am tempted to get in one run. They say it's better to get a larger number of one breed for a better sampling of its breed virtues. DD7 wants top hats (we're going with Mottled Houdans this time) and I can't make up my mind between about 5 different breeds, but my coop only holds 12 birds comfortably. Just can't get those numbers to work out how I want them to!
(But you know what this means? I need another BIGGER coop! DH would kill me! Ha.)
I'm going to google those exchequer leghorns...never heard of them before.I was looking at what I wanted to order for 2015 from MMH and I started to get straight run because I feel a bit ethically better about buying them that way. I did that last year with my EE's and got 8 out of 15 that were female. BUT THEN I calculated up what it would be to just go ahead and get the exact number of females I wanted and it was a LOT cheaper. I'm doing meat birds again this year, so I don't want to mess with the extra roos from the layers since I currently don't have anywhere to put them and won't really need them for the freezer.
My hardest dilemma in chicken math is multiplying by the number of different breeds I am tempted to get in one run. They say it's better to get a larger number of one breed for a better sampling of its breed virtues. DD7 wants top hats (we're going with Mottled Houdans this time) and I can't make up my mind between about 5 different breeds, but my coop only holds 12 birds comfortably. Just can't get those numbers to work out how I want them to!
(But you know what this means? I need another BIGGER coop! DH would kill me! Ha.)
