I started with 4 rescued chicks, built a coop that will easily house 6-8, so I said we can just get 4-5 hens, that will be good. Well right now with all the rescued babies, and a few that I did buy, of course I'm not keeping them all, I currently have 18 chicks at my house (Probably 10 Roos with my luck). I'm going to be building that other coop, so I think 10-12 will be a good number, but can I not count the bantams, they are so small, and the Silkies are so fluffy, they don't count as a chicken, they are just a fluff ball...Right??