Chicken math

[The Mama Chicken]

Yesterday we all (hubby, 4 kids and I) drove an hour to buy a dozen or so Blue Copper Marans hatching eggs. The lady was very nice and had managed to save 19 eggs for us. Well, once we were there and looking around I couldn't resist getting just a few more. I'm still not sure how it happened. I brought the 31 EE eggs I had been saving for my next hatch, just in case she wanted to trade. So I traded those for 31 New Hampshire eggs. Then I was sucked in by the smallest chicken breed in the world (which also happen to be kind of rare and expensive) so I bought the 2 Serama eggs she had. The odds are against me getting a male and a female out of just 2 eggs but I'm crossing my fingers. If I do get lucky I will have breeding stock to sell the babies to 4H kids or people who collect tiny, useless chickens, if not, well...I'll just sell them. Finally, the egg lady threw in 5 quail eggs for free. So 12 turned into 19, turned into 50, turned into 52, turned into 57. That is chicken math at it's finest.

 

[so lucky]

Wow! You really used those finer chicken math techniques to the fullest! Congratulations!

 

[ninnymary]

You must have a great husband! Mine would have said just one word...NO.

Mary

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

yikes! now don't count your eggs before they hatched. with my luck if the DH said OK for me to bring that many eggs home to try and hatch they would all hatch! when i buy behind his back i'm lucky to get about 1/4 to 1/2 of those to hatch unless they are my own eggs and those are usually crosses of my Faveolles and Cochins and seem to have a great rate of hatch for me!

 

[catjac1975]

You must have a great husband! Mine would have said just one word...NO.

Mary

My husband says no to some things but never chickens. My kids say if it weren't for him I would be one of those animal hoarders they show on TV. Particularly any sad sap horse story.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

He actually found them for me and called the lady. He spoils me rotten.

 

[skeeter9]

Wow! Awesome math, Mama Chicken! Best of luck with your eggs!

 

[swampducks]

That's a lot of eggs! I don't have room for that many birds. I do have an old rabbit hutch that we converted to a temporary coop for summer only in case we raise extra chicks. Used it for meaties a couple of times, but this year I'm removing the ramps so I can access the whole enclosed yard, it's 12 x 12 and plant veggies in it. Tried corn last year with a so-so results. I think a bunch of cucumbers is a good idea with snow peas on the edges. Need to get some manure or something in there though, it's all sand and what little chicken poo is in there was pretty thin and useless.

Anyway, sure hope I don't need it for birds though I should know before it's safe to plant cukes outside, which will be in June. By then I'll know how many guinea eggs I've been able to place in the bator, and whether I decided to buy any chicks at TSC or from the local feed store in May. The old Sears and Roebuck 3 level brooder is scheduled for the hatchery order in June.

Hmmm, maybe I will need that hutch... Dang it, chicken math is so hard!

 

[lesa]

Ah, chicken math- all adding and very little subtracting!!

 

[AllyRodrigues]

Ohhhh, how fun! I've also been wanting some Marans! I think seramas are beautiful, but wouldn't want to put them in with my big girls and only have one coop!

Post pictures when you can!