How many chickens can i have?

[SunHwaKwon]

I think that also partly depends on if it's covered/shaded

 

[aart]

Thats interesting we had 18 hens there for to months and the grass and plants they eat have actually increased. But we have 722 sq feet per bird right now.

Well, that kind of gives you your answer...lol......but long term might be different as accumulations of poop may change the story....
......and adding birds would be a guessing game.

Might be interesting to split that area and see what 18 hens does to half, or even a quarter, as much space....then you could rotate the areas to let them recover.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Good point we going to get 12-18 more layers and just do the meat birds in spring when everything in bloom. I dont have an issue with any of them destorying anything yet lol it just me i like tilling and planting i have a small green house started some new veggie plants for fall so the hen will have a garden full to share with us.

 

[aart]

It's the scratching, and the 'hot' poop, that destroys the plants.
If you rotate them out of an area before they destroy the roots the plants will regrow, wait too long and the plants will be gone fore ever.
All highly variable depending on the types of plants, the weather and the time of year.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Well most of the plants have survived cattle so i am pretty sure they be ok, in addition to that our chickens are kinda funny they wont poop were there are plant they run to the fire ant bed where grass wont grow to do their buisness. That might just be our hens through, and the deweed my garden for me yay chickens lol. Even after getting 18 if thats what we get thats still 371 sq feet so we should be on. I am going to get rid of some plants i hate and plant more coastal which the hens love eating their my lawn mowers lol the keep some of it cut diwn and once it a decent level they move to another section. I an also going to look in to getting other plants they will eat that bare some kind of fruit and attracts bugs. ( they give me a way to talk my husband in to more plants moohaha) lol. I cant wait to get started now if only it was december so i could. Cant wait to give birth so i can go garden crazy agian. I been put on bed rest that i am ingoring it for the most part or trying to my husband keeps hovering so life pretty dull right now lol.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

On other problem is i cant really rotate areas right now because the trees arent big enough on one side to give enough shade i need to put up a canopy over there. Plus i need to kill the funky plants that piss me off i hate them lol they get several feet high and the die and look horrid.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I just realize i put to months earlier the to wasnt suppose to be there. We had our biggest hens for 6 months.