How many monkeys are in a "Barrel Full of Monkeys"?

Please choose a barrel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrel_(unit)

then choose one of the 264 known extant monkey species (unless you want a barrel full of mixed monkeys).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey

As a preliminary estimate I would say a barrel full of monkeys would contain more monkeys than you could shake a stick at.

From the "1st Annual Monkey Barrel Conference" in Berne, Switzerland, on Dec 5, 1995:

The size of the barrel and the size of the monkey are both vital and totally irrelevant. It is instead crucial to maintain the proper ratio of monkey size to barrel size. The Phrase Founder (the near mythical being or group who coined the phrase) obviously had in mind a divine plan, a mystical monkey-barrel ratio of monkey bliss. The Ratio Committee worked hard and long, examining archaeological data, the Egyptian hieroglyphs, various biblical texts, the Tantric Guide to Orgasmic Love, the Wiccan Guide and of course, the Easy Guide to the Future and Past Through the Sandwich Oracle. The result was stupendous and is still debated: 6.7 monkeys per barrel (it is thought that the PF was close friends with the first director of the U. S. Census Bureau). Since Monkus Intactus was in effect, this was rounded to 7.0. Increasing or decreasing this number can cause variations in the Monkey Giggle Value, exact extent of this changes and the rate of change of the rate of change is still unknown.

galactic-guide.com/articles/6U11.html no longer exists
http://de.openvms.org/martinv/pgg/06u/06u011.html

Interesting! I feel safer with the 12 plastic ones...I don't have a big enough stick...G