What's your "Dream Flock"? How many chickens is the perfect amount for you? What breeds do you adore?

[Wackums]

I'd say my dream flock would be about 60-80 chickens. I'd like to have about a dozen jersey giants, a dozen buff and lavender orpingtons, a dozen golden comets, black austrolorps, isa browns, some sussex and blue laced red wyandottes.

 

[leslielbk]

I have 5 different breeds, and in the past had buff Orpingtons, giant Cochin, barred rocks, Rhode island reds, that's what I can remember.
Now I have 1 light Brahma, 1 Australorp, 1 white giant, 2 cuckoo maran, 3 Delaware, and 3 whiting true blue.
WTB are the best layers I've ever had, a nice large egg, beautiful blue color, and about 5 eggs/week each. I've found the Delaware a PITA because they're mean to the other girls, incredibly loud and only lay a medium size brown egg. I won't get those again. The whitings were a pleasant surprise and I'm debating on whether to get a few more.

 

[D-Bar-B]

I love my current flock (although I’d love to add a few more). I currently have 12 laying hens (no roosters because of city ordinance). They’re Dominiques, Welsummers, Buff Orpingtons, Golden-laced Wyandottes, Light brown leghorns and Golden Campiness. I’d love to add a couple bantam silkies just for fun. All of my girls at this time are super friendly and love to get treats from our 2 year old grandson.

 

[Ray and Sophie]

I ask this because I'm growing my flock this year, not merely recouping lost numbers. (We had an issue with predators that caused me to lose over half my flock of 11 last year.) We are in the process of building a bigger, better enclosure with a large shed-type coop that I can easily walk in and clean with a large run. That being said, I've calculated the run and coop can accommodate comfortably about 28 chickens.

Mind you, I'm not aiming for the max number as I like plenty of space and I'm sure my chickens do too. But I was thinking of adding a few more. I'm currently at 15 chickens counting the new batch of chicks that just came in from the hatchery a couple of days ago. So, as I sit here and dream about what sort of breeds I'd like to incorporate into my flock... I'd love to hear about your "dream flock."

My current flock is a mix of Dominicker (Rooster!), Cornish, Black Sexlink, and my new chicks are Easter Eggers. I'd love roughly 20 chickens. If I could find one locally I'd totally snag a Sapphire Olive Egger. I'm keeping a close eye on my local stores and breeders to see what chicks are available, so I can snag breeds on my watch list.

We have 26. A big mix, Rhode Island Reds, Americanus, lavender orphingtons, sapphire gem olive eggers, olive eggers, black jersey giants, fancy white chocians and now 5 Cocoa Marens, 5 Welsummers chicks. The black jersey giants are the real sweethearts of the group

 

[Lynn Woehrle]

The perfect number for us is 20--24. Trouble is we don't cull unless they are sick, so half of chickens don't lay anymore. One of our oldest is 10 years old. We also have bantams and their eggs are good hard boiled and perfect size for salads. We love our chickens! We get about five eggs a day.

 

[ZaHen]

One type of chook I highly recommend are spent factory farm hens. They can also be called ex-battery hens. There are adoption groups, and so, it does depend upon where you live. My local group has worked with a couple enterprises that released “spent” hens to us for adoption. I have 5 white Leghorns that came from two different commercial farms. I adopted 3 (actually 4, but one girl died of a heart attack early days) about 2 years ago, and 2 about one year ago. They are amazing birds! If you’re looking for layers, these hens were bred for high production, and they cull them very young. Through these groups, you must adopt as pets only: IE not for meat. You can’t cull them or sell them. They are typically very easy to handle; very used to human interaction. They’ve been fully inoculated. My girls are dynamos! They are fully aware of their drastic change of circumstances, and are loving life! They’re so smart. Once their feathers come back in, they’re so beautiful. Spent factory farm hens are also other commercial breeds, not just Leghorns.
The favorite breeds I have now, and have had, are: Jersey Giant, Cream Legbar, Sussex (had Lavender Coronation), Maran (have Cuckoo, had Black Copper), AMERAUCANAS (geez loueez, is there a more charming bird?!), Bielefelder (wonderful), Salmon Faverolles, Orpingtons (I’ve only had Buffs), Barred Plymouth Rock, Australorp, Barnevelder, Wyandotte. I’ve had crosses, too, and have adored them. I have 2 Easter Eggers currently, and one is more Ameraucana in her looks and demeanor.
15 birds in a flock with a big enough, secure backyard and housing, (in a suburban setting), or as a small flock more as pets/hobby (in a farm or rural setting) seems to me like an easy to manage, more interactive number of birds. It’s my ideal number, although currently in my flock, one of that contingent is held by a turkey! I have two larger (not huge), and two smaller, chicken coops, in which everyone is spread out for overnight roosting, and early mornings hanging out, until Mama (yours truly) gets up and gets out. Our summers here are sweltering, and I don’t want 15 birds in one coop. They all have 24/7 access to secure runs, but hens tend to sleep close together. It was better all around for my adopted tom to have his own coop. His coop, and my other large coop, are the same, open air design. I love this design. I have two, smaller, tractor style coops ~ those hens all roost together in one during the winter, of their own volition (no dopes, there!).
I just find 15 birds to be the best balance of having a truly wonderful mix of types, while also being able to give each girl (and ) time and attention ~ to know them well, know if there’s a problem and thus act promptly, keep them bonded/friendly with me.

 

[Kayakrose]

Hi, I like colored eggs so I have 1 Easter Egger that lays light blue eggs, an Americana that lays a light green egg, and a mix of the Easter Egger and Cuckoo Marans that lays an olive green egg. I have been wanting to have some dark brown eggs. I have 2 cuckoo Marans hens. One lays a darker egg than the other but I have heard that the black cooper Marans lay the darkest eggs. So today I picked up 12 Black Cooper Marans chicks at our local feed store.

Love them. I want to breed more to sell.

 

[ZaHen]

We have 26. A big mix, Rhode Island Reds, Americanus, lavender orphingtons, sapphire gem olive eggers, olive eggers, black jersey giants, fancy white chocians and now 5 Cocoa Marens, 5 Welsummers chicks. The black jersey giants are the real sweethearts of the group

Jersey Giants are so special. My first ever hen.

 

[donnamay]

I ask this because I'm growing my flock this year, not merely recouping lost numbers. (We had an issue with predators that caused me to lose over half my flock of 11 last year.) We are in the process of building a bigger, better enclosure with a large shed-type coop that I can easily walk in and clean with a large run. That being said, I've calculated the run and coop can accommodate comfortably about 28 chickens.

Mind you, I'm not aiming for the max number as I like plenty of space and I'm sure my chickens do too. But I was thinking of adding a few more. I'm currently at 15 chickens counting the new batch of chicks that just came in from the hatchery a couple of days ago. So, as I sit here and dream about what sort of breeds I'd like to incorporate into my flock... I'd love to hear about your "dream flock."

My current flock is a mix of Dominicker (Rooster!), Cornish, Black Sexlink, and my new chicks are Easter Eggers. I'd love roughly 20 chickens. If I could find one locally I'd totally snag a Sapphire Olive Egger. I'm keeping a close eye on my local stores and breeders to see what chicks are available, so I can snag breeds on my watch list.

I have to say if I could have more I would. Im at 14 but I would love about 30. I love different sized eggs and different colours. I love my silkies they are so friendly. Love my Araucana because of the beautiful egg colour, would match in with your nice easter eggers. I love my Laced Wyandotte and Plymouth Rock because of the beautiful feathers. I also have Bantams, isa browns, white sussex, Australorp and love them all. As you can hear I love a mixed flock and mine all get along well, large and small. . I WANT a really big hen like Brahma or Jersey Giant. Lol. Never have enough chickens.

 

[ZaHen]

Oh, in light of your full question, I should add breeds I’ve not yet had, but would like, in keeping with your “dream flock” premise. I don’t have high turnover, because my girls die of natural causes (no culling!), and I only adopt as adults, so some will stay on the wishlist for years, maybe forever:
Buckeye
Swedish Flower
(Light) Brahma
Cochin
Isbar
Ayam Cemani
I’ll always have Ameraucanas, Marans, and spent factory farm girls (currently have white Leghorns, but whichever type comes my way is fantastic). And, Jersey Giants, Bielefelders, Salmon Faverolles, and EEs/Olive Eggers, whenever possible. The last for the fun of those eggs, but also they’re mutts from Ameraucana stock, and Ameraucanas are elves with feathers, and they, too, usually have some of those personality traits.