Chicken Math - Newbie

[Kalobis]

My main advice would be to avoid getting 6 now and waiting to the gender declare itself and then 6 or however many more later. It'll take a good 8-10 weeks to reliably know how many Roo's you got and then you'll get to start over...swimming in chick dust for a good 3-4 months followed by the joy of integrating mid winter...when it's cold and everybody wants to huddle up but they don't huddle with strangers!

So that said, I'd take a hybrid approach. Get 8-12 now...and call it a day. If you get 6 great...if you get 12 hens...hopefully you bought Powerball tonight too. Anywho...whatever you get, I'd call it a year and then next spring round out with however more you want.... which will stagger them a little too.

...just my two cents

I ran the numbers because I am a nerd, and assuming a 50% chance of a boy or girl the odds of getting 12 girls is .00244%.

 

[Kalobis]

Here's some chicken math to tackle:
How big is your coop, in feet by feet?

The coop is 8x4 (32 sq ft), and the run is 16x8 (128 sq ft) with the intent to let them free range whenever we are home.

 

[lomine]

I'd say start small. If you are wanting eggs, you may be disappointed in 3 years when your hens all start laying less. If done right, integration is generally pretty easy. That's assuming your coop has enough space for everyone. If you are getting a prefab, in-the-box kind of coop, I'd say assume you have room for half of whatever they list on the box.

I've had many different breeds over the years and for the most part they have gotten along fine. Though I do cull any birds that are aggressive so that's something to keep in mind. I would also not recommend silkies in a mixed flock. I'd also keep in mind that if you want ducks, they'll need more space than chickens. They are also messy with their water so have a plan in place for that.

 

[Kalobis]

Thanks for the advice! Our plan was to wait a year for ducks, and to build them their own little house that shares the same run. I have heard they can be a little messy, and they need water with their food.

 

[lomine]

The coop is 8x4 (32 sq ft), and the run is 16x8 (128 sq ft) with the intent to let them free range whenever we are home.

That would only be big enough for 8 at the very minimum. And that's pushing it. I'm assuming by your location that you have cold winters. Some chickens may venture out on nicer days, but I've found that my chickens will spend the majority of their time in the coop. They don't like snow and they don't like wind. The ducks are less finicky. When you cram too many in a small space you end up with unhappy and unhealthy birds.

 

[Kalobis]

That would only be big enough for 8 at the very minimum. And that's pushing it. I'm assuming by your location that you have cold winters. Some chickens may venture out on nicer days, but I've found that my chickens will spend the majority of their time in the coop. They don't like snow and they don't like wind. The ducks are less finicky. When you cram too many in a small space you end up with unhappy and unhealthy birds.

The nesting boxes jut out, so they don't take up any floor space. I put a shingled roof over the run, and we don't get much snow that lasts since we are near the ocea. Do you think the cold alone would keep them indoors? This first winter, we should only have 4-8, so I guess it will be a good test.

 

[lomine]

The nesting boxes jut out, so they don't take up any floor space. I put a shingled roof over the run, and we don't get much snow that lasts since we are near the ocea. Do you think the cold alone would keep them indoors? This first winter, we should only have 4-8, so I guess it will be a good test.

I don't have snow that sticks around either. I've got windy winters so mine generally stay inside unless it's warmer and/or sunny.

The problem with giving them the minimum space is that you have a greater chance of dealing with other issues. For example, excessive pecking, feather pulling, higher susceptibility to lice/mites, and higher susceptibility to diseases and illness. Plus you'll have a lot less wiggle room in your cleaning because you won't want it to build up in an over-crowded space. If you plan to fill it up, I would start with just 4 and see how it goes your first winter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This is interesting, and something we had not considered. We have a decent amount of space, the coop is 32 sq ft and the run is 128 sq ft, with the intent to let them free range when possible.

So your coop is the main limiting factor, even in a moderate climate I'd want more space than that for 12 birds, especially if future integration comes into play. For reference my coop for 12 is 6x10, but my nests are floor height and fully internal so the coop is slightly oversized to compensate for the nest boxes.

Run would put you right at 12 birds but doesn't allow for a lot of extra wiggle room to add clutter to help with integration or any bullying issues. Free ranging can help, but only if they get enough of it and as long as weather or other factors (predator protection) don't interfere.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Nope birds of a feather flock

Thanks! Interesting they hang out by breed, I kind of assumed they would hang out by age or size.

.... you know.

 

[Kalobis]

Thank you all! I certainly don't want any issues with the ladies. Looks like 8 is the most I can house, which is honestly plenty.