Normal Flock Size?

[PluckyClucker99]

I want to get about 15 chickens, and right now I've negotiated with my family to get up to 12, and wanted to know what an 'average' flock size for a beginneris to possibly get more leeway..... So, if you live out in the country, with a lot of room, and plan to free-range, what is considered an 'average' flock size? I honestly have no idea, because I got a book for Christmas on URBAN farming, in which there is no 'average' flock. Help?

 

[lazy gardener]

PluckyClucker: You might start by asking yourself a few questions: How many eggs do you and your family eat per week? Will you give away or sell some eggs? What kind of budget to you have for the ongoing expense of keeping chickens (feed and other needs) Do you have a building that will provide housing, or will you need to build a coop? How big will your coop be? How big a fenced area can you provide? And even if you do plan to let them free range, you should still have a fenced run for them, for those days when the neighbor's dog comes nosing around, and any other predator issues you might encounter. How much time do you want to spend every day taking care of them? Do you have water available where their coop will be, or will you have to carry water to them? The more chickens you have, obviously, the more water and feed you'll have to carry, and the more manure they'll produce. Just because you CAN have a lot of chickens, it doesn't mean that you MUST have a lot of chickens. I'd advise you to start small, with about half as many chickens as your coop and run are designed for, then, after the first year, you can add more if you want. I'm sure you'll enjoy this new hobby.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is no average size. It totally depends on your individual goals, wants, and desires.

I don’t have an average size. I pretty much meet your description but my breeding/laying flock consists of one rooster and seven hens. During the summer I’ll probably peak out in the 40’s, then get back down to eight or so as I fill my freezer and get near to winter.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have one 8' x 12' coop and a 4' x 8' grow-out coop. My run is 12' x 32' and I have an additional 30' x 65' in electric netting. I can’t free range. People like to abandon dogs out here for the good life, which generally means they get eaten by the coyotes, either before or after they are dead. That’s why I got the electric netting. The wild animals are not the problem, it’s people dropping off dogs. For me

I don't get birds, I hatch them. Most of that 40 is young chickens too young to be butchered. My main goal is for the meat. I get a lot more eggs than I can eat so I give a lot of eggs away.

 

[joycespell]

I have around 40 chickens, 2 geese, 8 guineas and i am hatching out quail,pheasants,ducks and emus this year and i just ordered 100 meat chicks and i run a rescue for unwanted animals and my family doesnt mind as long as i work to pay for their feed, keep my grades up, and sell/butcher any extra or mean roos. My advice, get what you want/need but dont over do it too much. My chores take 1-2 hours a day so, depending on your time/financial status should influence the size of your entire flock. Hope this helps!




God so loved the world, He gave us chickens!

 

[Sofi]

I started with 4... 2 EEs, 1 RIR, 1 barred rock...

Then I added a buff orpington and a speckled Sussex...

Then I decided I needed a black copper marans...

Then I decided I needed a white egg layer to complete the egg color palette I had going on... Found a hatchery that had a Polish chick... Came home with her and 4 more peeps (australorp, EE, silver laced wyandotte and light Brahma).

After that, I said "I'm done!!"


But now I want a welsummer, a bravanter, a cochin frizzle and a silkie.....


So I'm working on expanding the coop

 

[kabhyper1]

We started a year ago last week. We brought home 6 chicks from TSC. 2 Silver laced Wyandottes and 4 assorted bantams. Then 3 weeks later we brought home two standard blue cochin, and two silver laced wyandotte pullet chicks from Big R. When 5 of our 6 original chicks turned out to be roosters, we rehomed some of them. I regretted that, and last summer got my two cochin boys back. A black bantam names Oliver, who now lives with my in-laws and Blueberry my standard cochin roo. I got 5 more hens from various chicken friends to replace my boys. Then In may of last year we got invested in silkies. I got a blue pair from a lady near us, and then shortly after 4 white hens from her. By October (only 7 months after our first arrivals) I had a broody cochin and eggs and a broody silkie and eggs. I have had 3 broody hatches now. We have 18 silkies now. This years chick days got us.. we have two ducklings and 7 EE pullets to add to our brood. SO now we have 21 large fowl in our egg laying flock, 3 boys and 18 girls, and 18 silkies, 4 boys and 9 hens plus 5 six week olds.
CHICKEN MATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love them all and don't have any plans to stop.

Our first...



Then the silkies...

Then our lovely adopted hens ...





Our first broody...

Our first silkie babies...



Our broodies and their kids....



Our boys....





Our not chickens ;-) ...

Our future ladies...

This is how you count in chicken math!!!!!!!!!!! In summary we went from 6 to 10 to 6 to 8 to 12 to .............................41

 

[Belott]

My suggestion is read, read and read some more!! Read about housing your birds; providing predator safe housing; and deciding how willing you will accept losses to predators while free ranging.

There is a lot you need to know before you get your first chick!!! Don't rush it or you may set yourself up for disappointment!!

Good Luck

David

 

[BugGuy]

I started with a flock of 150 day old chicks and 14 ducklings. It was quite the learning curve, but I only lost 3 in the brooders and 3 more to the neighbors dog before butchering time. I am now down to 60 laying hens and 6 roosters that are housed in a 6 X 20 ft stock trailer for winter. I would not recommend jumping into the deep end like this for everyone, but I have the space and time, so if I'm going to do something, I don't mess around much. I have some modifications to my system to make and much more to learn, but with the info on BYC and some help from the good Lord, all will work out fine.

 

[ChickenCurt]

One important thing whether you go big or start small; enjoy! If it's a chore it's no fun. I started with 8 guineas that were given to me then got 20 RIR and 20 Leghorns for more eggs then realized folks want fresh. Now I sell eggs, chicken and turkey and am looking for land for 300+/- and soon to double.