How many chickens ought I have to serve my guests?

At least twenty!

I’m afraid the math equation escapes me, but I would urge you to err on the side of having more eggs than you need, thus more chickens.

Can you donate or sell any extra eggs to your neighbors? If not, maybe you can specifically come up with some recipes to use any extra eggs that you may have (to cook in the main kitchen of your lodge, if there is one) Or you can have recipes on hand for your own use (such as baked goods, or periodically serving egg salad or deviled eggs, quiche or cobb salad for lunch).

You can also freeze the contents of raw eggs for later use as you can see in this description

So with an average of 14 guests (70% times 20) you need 28 or so eggs a day. To be on the safe side you need 28 chickens. I’d have 30, and then you have plenty for the occasional guest who wants a three egg omelette.

Any extras you can use to make cakes or something else. So get 30 chickens, unless this is a homework problem, which you should do on your own and not post here for other people to do for you.

@zenvelo

Are we assuming 100% occupancy all the time?

@CaptainHarley Nope, the poster posed 70%. That’s why I am on the high side so you have plenty on hand for full weekends and friends visiting!

Welcome to Fluther!
Are the guests eating these eggs or just taking them away in their pockets? No one should eat that many eggs unless they are a sumo wrestler or a skinny football player trying to bulk up. For the health of your guests and for your pocketbook, limit the eggs you allow.

@Sunny2 I think the way the question is worded is slightly awkward. If I’m reading it correctly, it sounds like each individual person is only eating about 2 eggs per day. That wouldn’t be too much if you were only eating that many eggs per day on a vacation that lasted a week or so.

I’m curious to know how you already know how many eggs they eat… if you aren’t already supplying them?

I’ll elaborate on my last response.

Welcome to Fluther. Most people find that there are very few questions that the community is unable to answer, making it a fantastic resource for information. However, we don’t do homework. There are plenty of jellies (members) who are more than willing to help someone understand their homework if they are struggling, but we don’t do the work for you. As you can see by a handful of posts above, your question sounds suspiciously like a homework problem. If that is the case, I would invite you to come out and ask how it works, because as I said, there are plenty of people who would be willing to help someone better grasp an understanding of the problem and how to solve it.
If it is not a homework problem, and you really do want to buy chickens – I think we need more details about the situation in order to come to the most helpful suggestion.

Based on the title of this question, I was picturing chickens in little tuxedos, carrying trays of food.

I agree that this sounds like homework. If it isn’t, you might want to keep in mind that hens’ egg-production changes according to the season, so in the winter you’ll be getting fewer eggs.

If it is a homework problem (or even if it’s a real-world issue) and you’re having trouble writing an equation to solve it, maybe you could draw it out instead, using different symbols to represent guests, eggs, and chickens. That way you can visualize what’s going on and figure out the solution.

If your lodge is open year-round, I’d think it’s safest to err on the side of excess – after all, you can always bake or cook other foods with extra eggs or even sell them. As for having enough chickens to do the job, they may not all always be laying i.e. in HR-speak, you may need to consider attrition and retirement…

It’s arrogant as all hell to tell paying customers they are eating too many eggs. I’m assuming the cost of the upkeep of the birds are already factored in to the cost of a visit. It’s a novel way to treat guests. It isn’t usually a good idea for guests to hoard raw eggs as if they are taking motel soap and towels. It should be safe to assume they eat them right there. They may not even eat eggs at home in every day life. A get away- means you get to do naughty things in excess because it’s a temporary diversion. 25 to 30 birds seems reasonable. And keep some extra store bought eggs on hand if the birds produce fewer than expected if it comes to that.

[mod says] Please remember: This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.

The practical issue is that hens lay less as they age. I do not know the average declination expected. My hundred hens are now—8/25/11—laying about 40 eggs a day. This past Spring the count was about 65/day. Last Winter the count was 25 to 30 a day.

Sixty are a year old. The older hens range from eight years to two years. Our records are lax and older hens have been taken down by age or critters. So, I’m building the flock up. and have 35 pollutes which will begin their lay by the end of October.

The text books say that the average is that a chicken will lay an egg every day and a half. [The record, I hear, is seven eggs by one hen durning one day.]

So, now with real world information, how many hens is practical and how often will I need to replace them?

I do not know if this is appropriate; extending a question in the midst of answers. Seems to me that the method towards an answer is the best answer and that it may involve some kinda math that I don’t do. Thanks!