When to add chicks.

[aart]

I have supplemental lighting as I don't have glass windows and they have been laying fairly consistently all winter, but have slowed down significantly in the last week. Which is okay, but curious to me why the slow down now.

Is the light on a timer?
Using supplemental lighting can have foibles.

 

[NatJ]

There didn't seem to be any crowing issues over winter this year but it has been a lot of work keeping it clean with so much poop this year.

If you add more, it will get dirty even faster.

I have 39 currently (including 1 rooster and 4 bantams).

My coop is approx 120 sq feet

Personally, I would not add more chickens in that amount of space.

One common guideline is 4 square feet per chicken. That would allow 30 chickens, so your 39 would be "too many."

I've also seen a guideline of 4 square feet each for dual purpose chickens, 3 square feet each for Leghorn-types, and 2 square feet each for bantams. With 16 Leghorns, 4 bantams, and 19 dual purpose, you would still have "too many," although not by as much.

As you've noticed, "too many" does not guarantee problems, but it certainly does increase the cleaning! And problems like pecking and bullying are more likely to happen.

I guess I am totally okay with freeloaders, and probably just want to replace as I have deaths from whatever it may be. I'm not keen on the idea of culling then after they've worked so hard for me; but I definitely understand and appreciate why it is a necessary part of livestock management.

I would suggest you choose a target number of chickens, and not get any more until enough chickens have died that you have "too few."

Based on your comment about cleaning last winter, and the size of your coop, I would suggest a target of 30. (Maybe let it drop as low as 25, then buy enough new chicks to bring it up to 32, then wait until it next drops to 25...)

 

[Shezadandy]

I like how you think. My husband probably would say I have a limit though

Mine too though I have no technical limits. DH working from home makes it harder to sneak the "oops that chick jumped in the box when I wasn't looking" extras in.

At some point you'll start experiencing natural losses- once you get to the 2-3yr old range in your flock, some will develop laying issues, others will develop organ failure and so forth, so you can start to have an expected loss column in the next year or so, and that too provides a good leveling the numbers out figure in calculating how many to add.

A lot of times it seems the losses come after molting when their reproductive tracts ramp back up for the season- that's when the problems show for the ones that have developed problems. There are always other issues too as your flock ages- but seasons changing tend to exploit whatever underlying problems there are.

I keep mine to their natural life's end, which means I'm feeding a bunch of freeloaders. Of the original 10, 3 have survived to 6.5yrs so far.

 

[Iluveggers]

Mine too though I have no technical limits. DH working from home makes it harder to sneak the "oops that chick jumped in the box when I wasn't looking" extras in.

At some point you'll start experiencing natural losses- once you get to the 2-3yr old range in your flock, some will develop laying issues, others will develop organ failure and so forth, so you can start to have an expected loss column in the next year or so, and that too provides a good leveling the numbers out figure in calculating how many to add.

A lot of times it seems the losses come after molting when their reproductive tracts ramp back up for the season- that's when the problems show for the ones that have developed problems. There are always other issues too as your flock ages- but seasons changing tend to exploit whatever underlying problems there are.

I keep mine to their natural life's end, which means I'm feeding a bunch of freeloaders. Of the original 10, 3 have survived to 6.5yrs so far.

What breeds were/are your original 10 out of curiosity?

 

[Kirmi8]

Is the light on a timer?
Using supplemental lighting can have foibles.

Yes, it is on a timer and is just one bulb and not ridiculously bright or anything. It's purposeful in that we did want them to somewhat continue to lay through the winter, and I often don't get out there for my evening check and "tuck everyone in" until after dark. That's usually when I have the most time to observe them and fluff/turn over bedding and all that fun stuff.

 

[Kirmi8]

Mine too though I have no technical limits. DH working from home makes it harder to sneak the "oops that chick jumped in the box when I wasn't looking" extras in.

At some point you'll start experiencing natural losses- once you get to the 2-3yr old range in your flock, some will develop laying issues, others will develop organ failure and so forth, so you can start to have an expected loss column in the next year or so, and that too provides a good leveling the numbers out figure in calculating how many to add.

A lot of times it seems the losses come after molting when their reproductive tracts ramp back up for the season- that's when the problems show for the ones that have developed problems. There are always other issues too as your flock ages- but seasons changing tend to exploit whatever underlying problems there are.

I keep mine to their natural life's end, which means I'm feeding a bunch of freeloaders. Of the original 10, 3 have survived to 6.5yrs so far.

Usually I just have to indicate that they are "free" chickens and he doesn't care . But he has asked me a few times, "you're done now, right?". And he's usually pretty good until I ask him to fix or build me something new for the chickens. Thankfully when my dad comes to visit, he usually indulges my crazy coop modification ideas. And now it's sounding like I need another chicken coop...bahahah.

 

[aart]

Yes, it is on a timer and is just one bulb and not ridiculously bright or anything. It's purposeful in that we did want them to somewhat continue to lay through the winter, and I often don't get out there for my evening check and "tuck everyone in" until after dark. That's usually when I have the most time to observe them and fluff/turn over bedding and all that fun stuff.

What is the duration of the light being on...from what time until what time??
It needs to be consistent from day to day or it can throw them off.

 

[Kirmi8]

If you add more, it will get dirty even faster.



Personally, I would not add more chickens in that amount of space.

One common guideline is 4 square feet per chicken. That would allow 30 chickens, so your 39 would be "too many."

I've also seen a guideline of 4 square feet each for dual purpose chickens, 3 square feet each for Leghorn-types, and 2 square feet each for bantams. With 16 Leghorns, 4 bantams, and 19 dual purpose, you would still have "too many," although not by as much.

As you've noticed, "too many" does not guarantee problems, but it certainly does increase the cleaning! And problems like pecking and bullying are more likely to happen.


I would suggest you choose a target number of chickens, and not get any more until enough chickens have died that you have "too few."

Based on your comment about cleaning last winter, and the size of your coop, I would suggest a target of 30. (Maybe let it drop as low as 25, then buy enough new chicks to bring it up to 32, then wait until it next drops to 25...)

Yep, this all makes a lot of sense. Although of course, what I wanted to hear was, oh you have tons of room, get more! Bahahah. But I'm not one to shy away from a reality check. I will just keep everyone as is for now and see what this spring and summer brings as far as health goes. I never thought I'd be able to get rid of this many eggs but my extended family has become very used to their farm fresh eggs.

 

[Kirmi8]

What is the duration of the light being on...from what time until what time??
It needs to be consistent from day to day or it can throw them off.

Yes, it has been on the same time for 2 years now. 7 am to 9 pm I think is what my husband set it for.

 

[Shezadandy]

What breeds were/are your original 10 out of curiosity?

I had 2 Easter Eggers, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Black Australorps, 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Speckled Sussex. The 2 Easter Eggers are both doing really well - the one Speckled Sussex as a bigger bird has some arthritis but otherwise is healthy. The Buffs both died from organ failure under different circumstances. One black australorp was the first to go, she prolapsed and always just had a laundry list of problems. The other made it to a 4 and was otherwise healthy. The Barred Rocks both died of laying issues. And the other Speckled Sussex was a lifelong crop issue case, she made it to 5.