Normal Flock Size?

[TheRed]

I only have four, and I have plans to get two more this spring and then cap it off there. Granted I don't have much space, and my ladies are more pets than they are for eggs or meat, but I do sell eggs.

 

[kkenney]

We initially agreed on two hens for a couple a backyard girls for eggs and pets. We came home with eight, the second trip was six more leaving us with 14 for our first year. The man of the house was less than impressed at first but then things began to change. This year we got three more chicks and are starting with ducks (only two of those though, and were his idea!) I never understood "chicken math" until we got our first chickens!

 

[broncomax]

I checked out your math with an abacus and it is correct. example.. I told my wife I was getting 2 chicks and I came home with 7.. LOL chicken math...

 

[omaeve]

you need 2 chickens per family member. find our in your town if you are allowed to have rooster and buy a shed not a tiny chicken coop you need to build a secure chicken run. that means dig a ditch and secure wire underground. I made mine 8 feet high(I have two grandson's 6 ft 5 inchs.) with wire in the ditch and also the posts are in the ditch. It is no fun seeing predators kill your chickens. we have wire overhead as we have hawks .mine is attached to the coop. with 2 gates quite a bit more work than you would think . I had an old meat shed and bought a shed 16x12 ft so we will use the old shed next winter when we get a pop door and roosts. but turned the new 16x12 coop into breeding pens. so the run goes from one coop to the other. I bought my chicken's from breeders but most feed stores sell min of 6 you do not have to get all the same breed unless you want pure breeding with a rooster

 

[micah O]

i use the trampoline as a run for the rabbits to. I also have 7 rabbits with my chickens and get along great as long as there is a little erea where they can sleep away from the chickens when they want they are fine anad dont bother the chickens at all. ive even seen them sleeping together

 

[PluckyClucker99]

Wow! 40 chickens..... can't imagine..... my family prob won't let me get that many, though! Can I ask how many coops/runs you have? I've only been researching for about a year (I have that book practically memorized!) from my book and the internet, and haven't found much about free range.....

 

[PluckyClucker99]

Thanks everyone! Think I'll tweak my plans for the flock now that I've gotten your opinions.... Anything else to add?

 

[tadaen sylverma]

I got nothing except to reiterate start small. I was going to go big scale for meat purposes but as I've been trusted with my mom's 4 I'm finding that a big flock would be to many for me. We can't free range so they need to be catered to. Don't jump in the deep end if barely learning to swim.

 

[piglett]

i started off with a dozen buff orpingtons

at 8 weeks old i would let them out to do some free ranging

here is the thing..... i trained them to come when called

so if i was leaving for more than 5 min i would call them back into the coop so they would remain safe

i bribe them with bread; they know i have goodies for them when i call

"here chick, chick, chick" they all come running

i ended up keeping the best 2 roosters to watch out for my hens which are worth $20/$20 each when full grown

i can always get free or cheep roosters if the ones i have get killed while defending the flock

but good hens take atleast 20 weeks to start laying



oh 1 more thing i went with my orpingtons because they forage great (much less feed to buy)

the roosters are good for the table & they are large so they look to be less of a target for things with big teeth


good luck
piglett

 

[piglett]

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.

i think we need pictures of this flock of yours