Chicken math: it’s sort of an inside joke with chicken keepers. It goes something like this:You get approval from your significant other to get just a small flock–maybe five chickens, tops! How do you get to five?
Well, first you need two chocolate layers.
Marans eggs: because who doesn’t want eggs that looks so gorgeous?
Then you need two blue layers. So far so good.
A couple Cream Legbars should provide some lovely blue eggs.
But you notice that the almost-impossible-to-get olive eggers are available on your targeted hatch day, so you add one. Okay, and maybe a Favaucana just for a different shade of green. How many is that; it can’t be more than five, right?
Then, you remember that your daughter needs a Silkie as her special pet lap chicken.
Chicken Math means the silkie you get your daughter doesn’t count against your flock total.
And your son loves Big Bird, so you add a Polish for him. If your daughter gets a special chicken, so should he, right? You’re just being fair.
In chicken math, 7 + 1 still equals 5, so long as you have a justification.
When you get your chicks–eight, not five (but who’s counting?)–you realize you’ve forgotten something. Your coop only holds five birds. So, your coop plans have to change. Instead of the small coop you planned for, you’ll have to build or buy one large enough to fit your flock of (eight), I mean five.
The coop you decide on can fit up to fifteen–perfect! There will be plenty of space. For your five, or eight… or whatever. In fact, you could add some more birds!
… so you get to thinking. (This is often dangerous when it comes to chickens.) The truth is that you had really wanted your flock to lay well in the winter, so you’ll have eggs year round. It seems silly to have chickens but maybe be short of eggs in the winter, and a few of your birds aren’t known for winter laying. You decide you should add an Orpington, definitely! They’re friendly, and pretty, and lay well in the winter. Plus you can get the pretty lavender color for your flock. That’s two birds with one stone, er–order—right?
However, to your joy—I mean, dismay—you realize that you do need to order at least five birds so they can safely be shipped. So you take TWO Orpingtons… and add a couple Speckled Sussex, just because it’s what your grandma used to keep. They lay well in winter, too! Also, a Welsummer, for good measure… and a Silver Laced Wyandotte, because they’re so beautiful.
Chicken Math to the rescue… your coop has room!
Somehow, five chickens has turned into fourteen: that’s chicken math! It’s especially chicken math if—after all that—you’re still planning what breeds you’ll add for next year. After all, you have space for one more, which means you’ll have to order eight or so and expand the coop.
Please tell your story in the comments: how does chicken math work in your family?