How many chickens

[Auntsally]

I only started getting chickens this may, new to owning them we started with 6 then a month ago got another 4 and today another two now have 12 they become addictive my husband said no more 12 is my limit, just curious how many did you bring home first time as a chicken owner and how many do you have now , and how many is to many thanks

 

[Hei 20]

I only started getting chickens this may, new to owning them we started with 6 then a month ago got another 4 and today another two now have 12 they become addictive my husband said no more 12 is my limit, just curious how many did you bring home first time as a chicken owner and how many do you have now , and how many is to many thanks

I started with one and it is all Covid 19 fault. LOL
I still only have one.

 

[Callender Girl]

I went to get three from a 4-H kid and left with four. The same year, my then-beau decided we needed a breeding trio of Iowa Blues. Today, I have 19 hens, one rooster, 11 runner ducks and two geese. Clearly, I don't know how many is too many.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

With my current flock, I got five and now have six. I was only supposed to get three. But somehow I came home with five. Then, a week later, I got another. They're all hens, no roosters, so no more will be coming that way.


. And welcome to Chicken Math!

 

[RLockhart68]

I started this spring also. Got 6, 2 lavender orpington, 2 black sex link, 2 golden laced wyandotte. Lost 2 of them due to inexperience. Went to tractor supply for 6 to replace them, came home with 10 assorted bantams. A couple weeks later while picking up chick feed, 4 Easter egger, and 4 buff orpington pullets came home. Thanks to a predator thinning my flock, I now have 16 total, 3 roosters and 13 hens. Will probably be adding 6-10 next spring

 

[RobertaD1]

We started with 1 rescue rooster.... then added 2 for him to have company. Next batch was 3, then 6
8 years later, I have 23...LOL... and of those, 18 were added just this year!

 

[Sally PB]

I started with three pullets, and three straight runs. Little did I know that "Straight Run" means "Probably Male." I had to cull two of the cockerels at four months when hormones kicked in, as they became unholy terrors to the pullets and to me. So now I have four, one cockerel and three pullets. Next spring I want to either add two or three pullets, or maybe hatch a couple eggs, if any of the girls wants the job. I have space for 8, but I'd prefer not to max it out. I'm thinking 6 or 7 would be perfect.

There is no such thing as too many. You're not over-chickened, you're under-spaced.

 

[Auntsally]

I started this spring also. Got 6, 2 lavender orpington, 2 black sex link, 2 golden laced wyandotte. Lost 2 of them due to inexperience. Went to tractor supply for 6 to replace them, came home with 10 assorted bantams. A couple weeks later while picking up chick feed, 4 Easter egger, and 4 buff orpington pullets came home. Thanks to a predator thinning my flock, I now have 16 total, 3 roosters and 13 hens. Will probably be adding 6-10 next spring View attachment 2398239

wow what a Colection they look lovely

 

[valper]

I started with one and it is all Covid 19 fault. LOL
I still only have one.

Doesn't she get lonely? I always thought they should at least have one companion?

 

[valper]

I only started getting chickens this may, new to owning them we started with 6 then a month ago got another 4 and today another two now have 12 they become addictive my husband said no more 12 is my limit, just curious how many did you bring home first time as a chicken owner and how many do you have now , and how many is to many thanks

I think that you reach the limit of "too many" when caring for them is no longer joyful or pleasant. Most importantly, space limitations should be taken into account.

I started out with 4 pullets and slowly added more as I expanded my coop. Now I have 20 and that is my limit. Both because I do not have more space and because I don't think I could handle cleaning up more poop! (even though they free range)