How many chicks to get?

[Harukimaru]

Hello! I've helped raise chickens for the past six years. They were my dad's and he passed away last month so we are rehoming the thirteen chickens we currently have. I will be moving in the summer and want to get chicks. I understand what care they need and am dedicated to caring for them completely. (I have pets that already need like round the clock care!)
I live in NE Ohio so I know to get cold hardy breeds. I've narrowed down what breeds I want, it just comes down to knowing how many to get. They will be my first chicks, but not my first chicken or baby animal by any means.
How many is recommended? I can provide any amount of space and other needs they require so that isn't a issue.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

That depends.
How many eggs do you want?
How much money are you planning on spending on chicken feed?
Do you live in the country, or in town?
Are there limits?
I think 8-10 hens is a good amount. Because every single hen will not lay an egg every single day, more like five a week.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Also depends on how many butts you want to check and remedy for Pasty Butt as you brood them out. How many times a day do you want to clean that water dish again cause they threw the shavings in it again......

 

[lazy gardener]

How big a coop and run do you want to build? They will need at least 4 s.f. in coop, and 10 s.f. in run per bird. I strongly recommend a walk in style coop. YOu might start by looking at the Woods open air style coop. Also consider MHP style brooding. I would consider a minimum of 4.

Welcome, and you might consider putting your location in your profile. It helps folks to give climate appropriate advice.

 

[coloradowildflower]

4-10 is usually a good number for a backyard flock, but it will depend on your setup.

 

[debid]

I'd worry about getting settled and a coop designed and built at the new home before worrying about what breed and how many chicks to get. A great many folks have found that plans can change and construction takes longer than you expect so it's always best to have the home ready and waiting before you get pulled in by the cute peep tractor beam.

Just waiting isn't any fun, though, so I'd suggest throwing your efforts toward designing the perfect coop for you! Also, learning about basic construction techniques if you haven't built anything before. There is something immensely satisfying about building a coop yourself and it will be nicer than any manufactured coop.

 

[Beer can]

Hello! I've helped raise chickens for the past six years. They were my dad's and he passed away last month so we are rehoming the thirteen chickens we currently have. I will be moving in the summer and want to get chicks. I understand what care they need and am dedicated to caring for them completely. (I have pets that already need like round the clock care!)
I live in NE Ohio so I know to get cold hardy breeds. I've narrowed down what breeds I want, it just comes down to knowing how many to get. They will be my first chicks, but not my first chicken or baby animal by any means.
How many is recommended? I can provide any amount of space and other needs they require so that isn't a issue.

You should get at least a hundred

Seriously though unless you plan on selling or giving eggs away four-six birds is plenty.
If you have a dozen good layers keep in mind that's TONS of eggs and they eat a LOT! $$$
I don't want to sell eggs so just keep it down to two small breeding groups (hopefully cutting it down to one group this spring, still have too many...)
I hatch and grow out 30-40 birds a yr mainly for meat. By fall I'm back down to a small bunch. I like having a lot of birds around and hatching is fun.
If your not into processing you could just sell chicks and or young birds if you get into hatching.
Just be careful, 'chicken math' is real, and you can become the crazy chicken lady pretty easy

 

[Morrigan]

The other thing to keep in mind is that you may want to leave room to add in some new chicks when your birds get 2+ years old and no longer lay in the winter.

I started with a dozen hens, and I was buried with eggs for the first couple of years, but the 3rd winter in, eggs got pretty scarce. At one point, the only layer I had was a young hen who had hatched out under a broody that year.

In retrospect, I would have started with 4 or 5 (with at least 2 of them of a breed known to go broody) and then hatched out, or bought, 2-3 new chicks every year. That way you have a mixed aged flock with some experienced hens and mothers and some new chicks to keep in you in eggs over the winter.