Flock size constraints?

[BrianT]

I live in a standard residential neighborhood and have a flock of 9 birds (one OEGB Roo and 7 standard size hens and one bantam hen). My back yard is 70 ft wide by roughly 30 feet or so deep. I really would like to get maybe 3-5 more birds to add to the flock. We really love our chickens and I think our family has a little more love to share. Would that be too many birds in our yard? Our current flock has a 8x8x12 coop and run with the coop being 4x4x8. They spend time freeranging everyday. I have a couple of other unused pens and would like to put them to use for more eggs and let's not kid ourselves, chickens are great. I just don't want to add any if it will present a problem. Thanks in advance.

 

[gordonburrito]

Wow that's even smaller than my yard and I think our 6 hens are pushing it sometimes. I can't imagine what that many birds would do to a yard that size.... moonscape.... poopscape? You might anger your neighbors also with that many. I would just enjoy what you have if I was you.... but then I'm not you.

 

[Mahonri]

I've got to start selling birds.... I've just got too tiny of a yard.

 

[Mrs. K]

Flock dynamics are kind of funny. I think that if your girls are getting along well in that space, I would leave it. I would hesitate to add more. I have a similar size set up. Although not in the town neighborhood. But a couple of years ago, I tried two different times to add more hens. Once up to 18, which was way too many.

There are many rules of thumbs on how many hens will fit, but it is also a trial and error thing for your specific set up. In my own coop/run I have found, that 8 head fit well, get along, no fighting, no pecking on each other. 10 head, starts to cause unease and crabbyness.

I can get by with more, while they are chicks, but by the time my flock is full grown, I need to be down to the 8 head.

I really think that you might be quite a bit less pleased with your flock if you get too many, and so might your current flock.

If your neighboors are not complaining, I don't think I would press my luck. They don't complain about hte roo?

MrsK

 

[BrianT]

Mrs. K :

Flock dynamics are kind of funny. I think that if your girls are getting along well in that space, I would leave it. I would hesitate to add more. I have a similar size set up. Although not in the town neighborhood. But a couple of years ago, I tried two different times to add more hens. Once up to 18, which was way too many.

There are many rules of thumbs on how many hens will fit, but it is also a trial and error thing for your specific set up. In my own coop/run I have found, that 8 head fit well, get along, no fighting, no pecking on each other. 10 head, starts to cause unease and crabbyness.

I can get by with more, while they are chicks, but by the time my flock is full grown, I need to be down to the 8 head.

I really think that you might be quite a bit less pleased with your flock if you get too many, and so might your current flock.

If your neighboors are not complaining, I don't think I would press my luck. They don't complain about hte roo?

MrsK

I would be using a different coop, but maybe there are enough. As far as the rooster goes, we live on a side of town where things are very culturally diverse. I know for sure that 2 of my neighbors like it. The others make enough noise of their own that any complaints could be returned in kind. Our rooster is a bantam and isn't very loud.​

 

[BrianT]

Any more input? Thanks.