Who has a large flock of 30 plus chickens

[cash money]

I'm interested in keeping possibly keeping 40 to 50 hen's for eggs what do you think

 

[Howlet]

as long as your not factory farming then yes

 

[cash money]

Where not factory farming we let the 13 laying hens we have now out to free range on our acre of land every day from about 2:00 to 7:30 every day nothing tastes like eggs from happy hens

 

[Howlet]

good lol. i dont see any issue with it doh except MAYBE coop/ roosting room

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I currently have 24 down from 36 laying hens/pullets. I am sizing down my hatchery stock laying hens to introduce more rare and quality birds.
I truly enjoy having a large flock and will continue to keep, I am sure, between 20 and 30 hens at one time. One caution for a flock of that size, be sure that you have a customer base already established. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[donrae]

I don't know exactly how many I have, I'd guess around 60 ish. Enough I go through 2 sacks of feed a week---that's sure something to consider! So is space, especially when they'll be more restricted in the winter by foul weather. Do you have enough space for them? Enough funds to feed them when the forage dies off? The time and energy to keep water thawed for that many birds? Those are the main issues with keeping a large number of birds. Plus, where your eggs are going. Do you have a customer base to support that? What about when the hens molt, or age and slow the production? What will your plans be for them then? I'm not saying you have to tell me these things, but you need to have them worked out yourself before you get in over your head.

 

[jtn42248]

We currently have 22 chickens, 24 ducks and 3 geese. The geese are for breeding as are the ducks. However we have made contact with a bakery about 50 miles away that wants all the duck eggs we can provide for their baking so that worked out on its own. As for the chicken eggs we can't use and since we are not breeding chickens, we were donating them to a local food pantry but just today some people stopped by (they saw our Fresh Eggs sign out on the highway) and we have a "handshake" contract to provide them with between 15 and 30 dozen eggs each month for a small restaurant they own. So, I may even be getting more hens in the not distant future.

Oh, and we are really not a factory. We love birds of all kinds. We have, and feed, several hundred wild birds that nest on our little farm and are in the process of building housing for both doves and pigeons. It is really a sort of intense hobby that grew once we retired.

 

[cash money]

I live in a a part of Arizona that the water rarely freezes and the can free range all year

 

[cash money]

And we are giving away dozens of eggs to neighbors and family every 2 weeks

 

[donrae]

Is there enough forage to sustain that many birds and keep them productive all year? Are predators an issue? How about shade/shelter from the head or wind? These are all things to think about.