How many is too many?

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kimntep

kimntep

Songster
9 Years
Dec 30, 2010
423
5
113
Ocala, Florida
I have 29 birds right now:
Flock 1 - six mature laying hens, one close to retirement, and two roos.
Flock 2 - seven 12 wk old Barred Rock pullets plus three Red Star pullets, all about 10 wks.
Flock 3 - Mixed bag of 10 (Andalusian, Auracauna, BR, other EEs and a couple of which I'm clueless of the breed); mostly pullets, one roo I'm sure of, but possibly 2 more, all about 8 wks old.
Our main goal is eggs, and lots of them..like at least 3 dozen per day for now. The way I figure it, I'll need one roo of Flock 3 to stay around in order for the little ones to produce. Is that right? I was told by an old-timer farmer friend that they'll lay more if the fellas keep them "stimulated." Roo #1 keeps the 7 older ones busy, I'm trying to get Roo #2 interested in the seven BRs, and that'll leave one BR roo to take care of his upcoming ladies. Will that do? Hubs wants more, but he doesn't take care of them..I do!
 
If you are after eggs choose heavy layer breeds, mine didn't miss a day all winter, now, a rooster doesn't decide this, all he does is fertilize the eggs, and supposedly keep a lookout to keep the hens safe. You have enough roosters now, but deciding who flocks with who isn't always plan able. But if you want more group three are likely to be the broody ones
 
You have too many when you can smell the poop. You give yourself three strikes then they're outta there, you'll want to sell at least a third of them and keeping going lower and lower from there.
 
When your facilities and grassland are taxed beyond their design, you might have too many.
When you find it harder and harder to keep up with the chicken chores, you might have too many.
When you aren't finding it as rewarding as much as laborious, you might have too many.
When you discover that in spite of all your work, you egg sales are netting you about .23 cents an hour? You might have too many.
When you decide that even if you double your hen count, and your sales would be double,
you still only be paid .43 cents an hour? You think twice about having too many.

Well, anyhow, you get the idea.
big_smile.png
 
Fred's Hens said:
When your facilities and grassland are taxed beyond their design, you might have too many.
When you find it harder and harder to keep up with the chicken chores, you might have too many.
When you aren't finding it as rewarding as much as laborious, you might have too many.
When you discover that in spite of all your work, you egg sales are netting you about .23 cents an hour?  You might have too many.
When you decide that even if you double your hen count, and your sales would be double,
you still only be paid .43 cents an hour?  You think twice about having too many.

Well, anyhow, you get the idea. :D
Click to expand...


Sounds like you've been there. Ppl don't realize the hard work & hours. By the end of the day I'm so tired from putting the chickens up I can't wait to hit the hay knowing a rooster crowing in the morning will be my wake-up call.
 
hi, i have aprox about 300 chickens at the moment i am planning to get rid of half as my life has been taken over by these birds,
 
I'm no math whiz, but if you want 3 dozen eggs a day, 29 chickens, of which at least 3 are roosters, isn't going to work. And, your "stimulating" farmer neighbor was either pulling your leg or doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.

Figure at best 5 eggs per chicken per week through the majority of the year, with production dipping in winter. If you have adequate space, and good management, 50 hens should produce an average of 36 eggs a day for most of the year.
 
I currently have 29 laying hens, 1 roo and 5 guineas. Of those, 23 are pretty consistant layers. 5 cochins and 1 Sebright who give me about 10 eggs per week, so they don't lay every day. I get an average of 15-19 eggs per day, 19 is when the Guineas pitch in 1 or 2 eggs. So 1.5 doz eggs/day average. If you want 3 doz eggs/day, you going to need at least 50 hens to keep production constant and you'll need lights in the winter.
 

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