Normal Flock Size?

[Cloudwatcher]

I ordered 10 - I don't think it matters how many you have...it is how much time you have to take care of them. And just read, read, read....everything on this site and many others...You can never read enough. Best of Luck.

 

[StewedMammal]

I started out with 12. As of this moment I have 65 (three years later), but that number can go up to around a hundred in the late spring and summer and down to around 50 in the winter.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Beware of "chicken math"! We originally planned to get three. That would provide us with at least a dozen eggs per week. However, chicken math quickly set in and our flock grew. Now I have an incubator that never gets turned off and 4 brooders.

 

[starlingdaly]

I started out with intentions of having 5 or 6... I planned and built and bought a silkie, Welsummer and bronze turkey poult. All turned out to be gals. I expanded the flock with four additional chicks and two guinea keets plus another silkie pullet but a predator got every single one save the original 3. I acquired a bantam rooster from my parents later on and bought three hens at a flock swap. Since then the number has gone up to around 50 but I'm currently at 24 with plans to be at 21 before my eggs start hatching.
It's so much fun for me. I can't believe I thought I would be happy with 5-6!
Good luck and just remember to ENJOY YOURSELF. Don't stress out.

 

[McCoysOrps]

It all depends on YOU do you want a lot of eggs for eating and hatchin? Do you have a big coop? How much area for bugs feed gets a little expensive?! I have 14 and my bill is 20/40 a month and do you plan to hatch chicks their feed adds up?!

I filled that water all the way water was poring out the top! Yesterday

I filled this feeder up yesterday full too!

I filled this one half and that was all my feed

Also put a bin or box under feeder it saves feed from poo and getting wet and pee

5 gallons and a little more!

 

[Stacyc]

I started out with three last October , I now have twelve more on order. Who knew they would be so much fun. Even with this horrid winter. I really enjoy caring for them. I am a huge gardener and to me it is kind of like gardening in the winter. Such a treat when it's -10 all day and I can go harvest a few eggs before they freeze. Have fun!

 

[amishhippie]

I started out a year ago with 10, a RIR roo, 3 RIR pullets and 6 red sex links, I now have only the 6 RSL, but I just ordered a dozen buff orps, a buff roo and five turkeys. It's called chicken math. That Rhode Island roo made it six months, he was the meanest bird I have ever encountered, but he tasted good. The other rhode islands got picked on real bad and ended up in the freezer. I figure when the red sex links go into molt they will succumb to the freezer and I hope that the buffs can breed and lay so I don't have to get anymore for a while, but the the chicken math...

 

[chickensnewtome]

Last spring, I was a beginner. I had 11 chickens, but that was after a few casualties. It was great to start out with that many. I got the hang of chickens but was not overwhelmed with little furry butts every where. I just got 15 new chicks yesterday so, yes chicken math adds up, LOL. I think 10-15 is a perfect number for beginners. I know it was for me. and now I have 11 grown and 15 chicks. Good luck in your chicken ventures, just remember they are addicting. And such fun to see grow up.

 

[earlybird10842]

I want to get about 15 chickens, and right now I've negotiated with my family to get up to 12, and wanted to know what an 'average' flock size for a beginneris to possibly get more leeway..... So, if you live out in the country, with a lot of room, and plan to free-range, what is considered an 'average' flock size? I honestly have no idea, because I got a book for Christmas on URBAN farming, in which there is no 'average' flock. Help?

The smallest number you can go is three, and the maximum is determined by coop and run size. But there's always chicken math, which usually strikes along with chick fever in the spring, and suddenly you end up (In my case ) with twice the planned amount of chickens. So my advice would be to get about half the number of chickens your coop can hold, and then when you just have to pick up a partridge plymouth rock, a brahma, a polish, and an orp, you have room in your coop.

 

[Chikenbutwut]

I have 10 bantams and am hoping to add two or three d'Uccles. I really already have enough, but I've been wanting d'Uccles for a couple of yrs. now and I have the room to add a couple more or few. I had ordered two of them, but one arrived DOA and the other died shortly after. Every time I'd see a pic. of one or hear something about them, I'd be like, gosh, I'd still really love to have that breed. So, I got in touch with a lady not far from me, and she's going to sell me some pullets out of a couple of hatches she has going.

My thing though, is deciding what to do with them after they get older and stop laying.