What is chicken math?
Chicken math is how backyard keepers count their chickens as the numbers increase year on year with each new hatch and flock additions. So the chicken keeper who starts with 5 hens in their yard and then adds a few coloured eggs layers and then some ducks and Guinea Fowl.
Chicken math is the curious and incomprehensible process by which a flock of 5 backyard chickens grows to become 35 in three years.
Chicken math stretches the meaning of "A few" to it's very limits. This is a just a few chicks, honey.
Chicken math can also be applied to chicken coops and incubators. This involves a single coop mysteriously becoming two or the magical appearance of a second incubator.
I am pretty sure that every long suffering partner of a chicken keeper has heard something like:
"Honey, I couldn't leave the last two chicks the lady had, they looked so lonely"
Or
" More chicks hatched than I thought would"
The rules of chicken math:
Every keeper has a slightly different take but these are general rules to get you started.
- Bantams only count as 1/3 of a whole chicken.
- Hatching eggs aren't included.
- Chicks don't count towards the total.
- Older hens are only counted as three quarters as they don't lay as many eggs.
- It doesn't matter how many roosters you have, they counts as 1.
- Hens that are not in lay don't count to the total.
- Other breeds don't get added in to the total, duck math is a whole other story.
Chicken Math- Urban Dictionary.
Example: If a backyard chicken flock starts with four chickens just for the purpose of laying eggs, then a couple of colorful egg layers will be added, along with a couple of ornamental breeds. Once the pre-order for some of the most coveted chicks begins, a few bantam breeds will be added to the flock, the coop will be expanded and therefore there is room for a couple more. The chicken math total at that point is about six chickens.
