How many chickens to start off breeding?

[Sauerkraut]

Hello! I am thinking about getting some show stock belgian d'anvers to breed sometime after I expand my run. My run will be around 145 square feet after the expansion. I currently have 5 hens; 2 andalusians, 1 BSL, 1 EE, and 1 Polish. I am wondering how many chicks I should get. I would like enough so they aren't bullied or overbred but not so much that they breed out of control or crowd my other chickens. I would also like to factor in that I will probably be keeping most of what I hatch from them, so I would like some extra space.

 

[Debbie292d]

Some people breed pairs. I don't usually. I like to have 1 rooster to 4-5 hens.

Those you are ordering are straight run or sexed? If straight run, you'll have to figure about half will be roosters you'd be selling.

For a coop, the recommended size is 4 square feet per adult bird.

For a run, 10-15 square feet per adult bird.

 

[Sauerkraut]

I'm ordering straight run, so maybe 5-6? I'm still slightly worried about ending up with 5 roosters, although that's probably not super common.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

breed out of control or crowd my other chickens

This is not a problem. You only get chicks when you either incubate eggs in an incubator for three weeks at proper temp and humidity, or, if you happen to have a broody hen, she sits on them for three weeks. In other words, you are in complete control of your population expansion. If you don't want chicks, sell, eat or give away your eggs or cook and feed them back to your hens or to your dogs. But do gather them daily.

 

[Amer]

For Belgian d'Anvers the space recommendations would be more like 1 square foot for bird in the coop and a lot less than 10 or 15 in the run. They don't overbreed like other breeds (partly because they are small and light) so I tend to breed them in trios. And I buy them in quality pairs or trios from a reputable breeder, not as straight run chicks. I would start with two pairs or trios, personally. That way one doesn't die and delay your progress.

 

[Amer]

Chicks can look fine as chicks but growing up they can have defects, there's no such thing as a show quality chick, you won't know the quality until they are grown.