Be honest, what would YOU do? Vote.

[Rick&chickTampa]

I have 5 Red Sex link hens and we are a family of three, We can't eat enough eggs and I have been giving them to three families of neighbors. Although I do sometimes get that bug that I would like to but some of those cute little fluffy babies I really don't need any more eggs.

 

[Living_Legend]

I don't think i will want to ever own more than x(6-10) amount of chickens. This is one of my hobbies. I have a 4 month old and a 2 year old. The 2 year old I already playing soccer (running wild not actually playing) and I will be so busy with them. I play in a mens over 30 baseball league. I plan to coach t-ball, baseball, boy scouts, and so on. The chickens are pets that give back and I feel like a fun thing for my kids to grow up with. I go all out when I do hobbies, I work hard and am 100% committed to do them right but after I am in cruise control it is something else that just part of our lives. My wife just shakes her head at me and is like what is your hobbie this month.

I will 100% take care of these birds but also be onto the next thing. I have an automatic door, water and feeder that will last at least 5 days without any contamination from poop or scratch. Basically the goal is to take out 5 minutes in a day to let them control freerange and put them back and collect eggs. We can go away for a weekend without worry and also hang out with the chickens all day.

 

[Living_Legend]

Just in case you're wondering if I had to make a choice right now I would choose 8 chickens removing two nesting boxes adding 2sqft giving exactly 4sqft/bird in coop and 9sqft/bird run space plus controlled free range time.

If I had 10 chickens I feel like it would be easier to give away 2 chickens if I had 9 chickens I would feel bad about just kicking one of them out if for some bad luck reasons I end up with less than 8 I would be ok with as low as 6

But this is all in theory time will tell

 

[PippinChicken]

You can also let their behavior guide you a bit too. If they're coexisting peacefully and look comfortable when they're in their coop at night, you're good. If they're leaving lots of space on the roosting bars then you may even be able to add some. If they're developing any of the behaviors associated with overcrowding or you see that they're crammed shoulder to shoulder with no space to spare in the coop at night, then it's definitely time to get rid of some (or expand).

 

[Living_Legend]

The people that are saying only keep 6 or 7. In your mind is it better to keep 6-7 and eat 3-4 when they are fully grown? You are about the happiness of the hen to have at least 4sqft of coop space and 10sqft of run space. To you is it better to kill some then to keep them all in a smaller space?

This is a serious question. It sounds in text form that I am being confrontational but I am simply inquiring. Or does your response change if this is the fate of the hens?

 

[Alaskan]

The people that are saying only keep 6 or 7. In your mind is it better to keep 6-7 and eat 3-4 when they are fully grown? You are about the happiness of the hen to have at least 4sqft of coop space and 10sqft of run space. To you is it better to kill some then to keep them all in a smaller space?

This is a serious question. It sounds in text form that I am being confrontational but I am simply inquiring. Or does your response change if this is the fate of the hens?

because laying hens can usually be sold for good money... I would sell the extras.

If I couldn't sell them for some reason (but they were healthy), then yes, I would eat them. But they wouldn't need to be full grown.

 

[bobbi-j]

The people that are saying only keep 6 or 7. In your mind is it better to keep 6-7 and eat 3-4 when they are fully grown? You are about the happiness of the hen to have at least 4sqft of coop space and 10sqft of run space. To you is it better to kill some then to keep them all in a smaller space?

This is a serious question. It sounds in text form that I am being confrontational but I am simply inquiring. Or does your response change if this is the fate of the hens?

When people say "cull" - it only means to remove from the flock. Kill, sell, give away... but remove from the flock. If you can sell pullets at point of lay for a good price, go for it! If you don't have that market, put them in the freezer. You are the only one who can decide what to do with your chickens. The one thing I know is, I would not keep them in too small of a space. That creates all kinds of problems. You could grow them out for a few months, and be ready to separate/cull them at the first sign of trouble, but I wouldn't want it to get that far if it were my flock.

 

[JDN]

For the more experienced flock keepers, what do you think her yield will be in 5 months? A rooster or two that isn’t tolerable, a chicken that’s Ill tempered enough to earn a trip to freezer camp, one or two get sick or eaten by something...

I’ Not the person to ask but it seems like a question that will answer itself in due time.

 

[Living_Legend]

You guys are great. That's all I can say.

 

[Living_Legend]

Game changer! I added 32 sqft to run today and added 3sqft to coop by removing 3 of 5 laying boxes. Hardware Cloth Coming Monday.

33sqft coop 104 4sqft run

10 chickens 3.3 sqft coop 10.4 sqft run
9 chickens 3.6 sqft coop 11.5 sqft run
8 chickens 4.1 sqft coop 13.0 sqft run
7 chickens 4.7 sqft coop 14.8 sqft run
6 chickens 5.5 sqft coop 17.3 sqft run

Does your vote change? Holla.