What's the Optimum Happy Flock Size?

[HappyFluffButts]

If space isn't an issue (i.e. lots of acreage), how many chickens make a happy flock? I'm not looking for a minimum or a maximum, but rather what is the optimum or sweet spot?

I'd like to buy some acreage to plant a food forest. To build up the soil and generate income while I wait for the orchards to start producing, I am looking to free range and breed chickens on the land. (Cream Legbars, Bielefelders, and American Bresse)

I've read that about 50 chickens can free range on an acre without killing the soil from too much nitrogen, so I wouldn't want to do more than 50 chickens per acre. But I'm also wondering, is it better to keep flocks small and segregated? My thinking is that by separating them into smaller flocks, they may have less issues with disease and pests.

What has been your experience with this? Does keeping smaller flocks mitigate the spread of disease/pests? Can chickens get stressed from being in too big of a flock? (I've only dealt with the other end of the spectrum, as we're only allowed 6 max where I currently live.)

Your thoughts, insights, and anecdotes would be greatly appreciated!

 

[aart]

I've read that about 50 chickens can free range on an acre without killing the soil from too much nitrogen,

They will likely kill your plants with their beaks and feet before their poops do in the soil.

To build up the soil and generate income while I wait for the orchards to start producing

What kind of income are you thinking the chickens will generate....egg or meat sales or...?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Perris]

Flock size depends on the chickens' temperaments and moods, in my experience. I have 15 free ranging on about an acre currently, and they rarely roam round as one (but nor do they form stable subflocks), so I can't imagine 50 would stick together. You could just let them decide who to hang out with ...? My broodies self-isolate with their chicks, most of the time, sometimes accompanied by an ex- or would-be dominant roo. Youngsters may hang out together and apart from the adults.

Infections and parasites will work their way through the whole flock in due course if they are all sharing the same space, however thinly. When they free range in plenty of space with lots of cover they don't get too stressed because they can get away from any trouble. As you plan to raise them in immature orchards, I guess you're just talking grasses and weeds as forage? In any case, mature shrubs will be fine; perennials will suffer if the chickens are partial to them, but will be fine if they don't taste good to chickens, ditto annuals. You say you plan to

plant a food forest

what's that?

 

[aart]

what's that?

Cultivated 'foraging' ...bit of a fad, offshoot of permaculture.

 

[Duckbreeder2020]

I say 20 chickens is the “sweet spot” I say. You get about 20-30 eggs a day!

 

[Ruthster55]

I say 20 chickens is the “sweet spot” I say. You get about 20-30 eggs a day!

No chicken, not even one in a cage in an egg factory, lays more than one egg per day.

From 20 chickens, I can't even say how many eggs you could expect, but it will certainly be under 20.

Are they all adult hens, or are some of them non-laying pullets or cockerels?
Are any of them broody? They won't lay while they're broody or raising chicks.
Are they molting? They won't lay while they're molting.

If you have mobile coops or fence with which to rotate your pasture, you could have a few hundred chickens. The general rule for well-managed chickens on pasture is that they have 108 square feet (10 square meters) per chicken.

So, let's say you bought 2 acres. That's 87,120 square feet. In theory, assuming that land is only used for chickens, you could have 806 chickens.

In reality with most of the land devoted to other uses, you might consider having 80 to 100 chickens. That way, there would be enough to produce chicken manure to fertilize other crops and the orchard.

A good mix would be 50 adult hens that would lay perhaps 25-45 eggs per day plus 3 roosters plus 45-50 young chickens. The low range on the egg production guess would happen if a lot of the hens were broody at any one time.

 

[Duckbreeder2020]

No chicken, not even one in a cage in an egg factory, lays more than one egg per day.

From 20 chickens, I can't even say how many eggs you could expect, but it will certainly be under 20.

Are they all adult hens, or are some of them non-laying pullets or cockerels?
Are any of them broody? They won't lay while they're broody or raising chicks.
Are they molting? They won't lay while they're molting.

If you have mobile coops or fence with which to rotate your pasture, you could have a few hundred chickens. The general rule for well-managed chickens on pasture is that they have 108 square feet (10 square meters) per chicken.

So, let's say you bought 2 acres. That's 87,120 square feet. In theory, assuming that land is only used for chickens, you could have 806 chickens.

In reality with most of the land devoted to other uses, you might consider having 80 to 100 chickens. That way, there would be enough to produce chicken manure to fertilize other crops and the orchard.

A good mix would be 50 adult hens that would lay perhaps 25-45 eggs per day plus 3 roosters plus 45-50 young chickens. The low range on the egg production guess would happen if a lot of the hens were broody at any one time.

My chickens are new so they each lay 1-2 eggs a day! They should lay about 3-6 eggs once they are older

 

[Duckbreeder2020]

My chickens are new so they each lay 1-2 eggs a day! They should lay about 3-6 eggs once they are older

I have 135 Akers in farm land

 

[Mrs. K]

The optimum happy flock size for me is about a dozen...or rather no more than a dozen. To be honest, I have NEVER made money from my chickens, very few people do. For me, a dozen is easy to care for, not too much work, fits my set up, so the flock is peaceful.

Where you are might have a huge influence on this, but if you are rural with a lot of acres, more than likely you also have a lot of predators. We ranch, so acrage is not a problem, but my chickens tend to stay in a smaller area. If I had more of them, maybe they would go farther, but the moment that they do, predators get them. And once you have predators, well they come back.

The idea of just letting them run wild, live off the land, reproduce naturally and make money is pretty unrealistic in my opinion.

Mrs K

 

[Ruthster55]

My chickens are new so they each lay 1-2 eggs a day! They should lay about 3-6 eggs once they are older

Impossible.

Even in a hybrid production layer, the egg formation process takes around 24 hours. In a heritage breed, it may take 36 to 48 hours to form the egg.

It might seem like a hen is laying 2 eggs per day if one of the eggs got missed in yesterday's collection.

Sounds like you have plenty of acreage! Do you have cattle or something else that can make use of the land?

In terms of flock size, I like having between 30 and 70, as long as they have enough space. These are not all layers. Many are pullets and there are a few cockerels, too.

Read up a bit more on the chicken laying cycle and about building a nice secure coop and run, too.

As @Mrs. K pointed out above, probably the most common newbie mistake with chickens is not building them a secure-enough coop and run.

https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/education/detail/how-often-do-chickens-lay-eggs-and-how-do-chickens-make-eggs#:~:text=D.&text=Laying hens lay up to,egg white and egg shape.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/