50 chickens

[Gonzo]

Is fifty chickens too many for a half acre? They would be housed in a few different coops with runs. Or would it be too much? I'd to have a few different breeds to sell hatching eggs, and chicks, and want to donate eggs to the local food bank.

 

[Bantimna]

I would love to see some answers

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Sounds about right to me. Taken from Storey's Guide..."The stocking rate, or number of chickens one acre can support in a season, for a free ranged flock on well managed pastureis 200 birds per acre. For a confined flock on well managed pasture is 500 birds per acre." I think this sounds like it would be pushing the limits, but makes your numbers much more reasonable

 

[Gonzo]

Cool! I was afraid Id be too much! This helps! Thanks!
Quote:

 

[Ariel301]

Sounds fine to me. As long as you're allowed to have that many legally on your property--we have seven acres but are limited on numbers of animals we can keep per acre by county ordinances--we're only allowed 3 dogs total, or 1 horse/cow/sheep/goat per acre. Don't know about chickens, but no one would really know how many we have unless they snooped through seven acres of scrub and cactus counting them!

 

[patandchickens]

Just be aware you will have soil problems -- first bare spots and mudholes (esp. right near the coops), then eventually the entire area will go to bare dirt and likely become a sea of mud in wet weather (unless you are on extremely sandy soil), and there may be additional longer-term problems depending on what kind of soil you have.

So make sure you have planned to postpone these problems, and to be able to deal with them when they arise.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[SarahFair]

I would fear the mud also..

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

gonzo&hispeeps :

Is fifty chickens too many for a half acre? They would be housed in a few different coops with runs. Or would it be too much? I'd to have a few different breeds to sell hatching eggs, and chicks, and want to donate eggs to the local food bank.

Do you have 1/2 an acre available for the chickens or is your entire property 1/2 an acre? Our property is 20,000 ft, which is almost 1/2 acre, but about half of that is taken up by our front yard and our 2300 single level home - 50 chickens seems like too many for my backyard, but might not be for yours, depending on your land/home it is set up.​

 

[Fowl97]

also if they free range=no fretilizer