Question

Farmer Tom raises ducks and horses on his farm. All of his horses need new horseshoes. He calls the farrier (a person who puts shoes on horses) but has a difficult time remembering how many of each animal he owns. He knows that there are a total of 24 animals. The animals have a total of 62 legs (all animals have either two or four legs). How many horses does Tom own?

Answer 1

h+d=24

h = 24-d

4h +2d = 62

4(24-d) +2d = 62

96 -4d +2d =62

96-2d =62

-2d =-34

d =-34/ -2 = 17

17 ducks

24-17 = 7 horses