How Many Chickens Should You Have?
Chickens are social creatures and flock together for warmth, protection, comfort, and to entertain one another. Without other coop companions, your hens can quickly become depressed. Knowing how many chickens you should have helps you feed your family and will lead to happy hens!
How Many Chickens Should You Have? The number of chickens you get will largely depend on your household needs and the amount of space you have to properly care for them. However, your flock should have a minimum of three hens in order to meet all their social needs.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how many chickens you should have based on your family size, how big of a coop you’ll need, the number of nesting boxes and how many chickens are needed for a dozen eggs per week.
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Table Of Contents
- How Many Chickens Should You Have?
- How Big Of A Coop Do You Need?
- How Many Nesting Boxes Do You Need?
- How Many Chickens Do You Need For A Dozen Eggs Per Week?
- How Long Do Fresh Farm Eggs Last?
Related Homestead Fox Articles:
Do Chickens Need Nesting Boxes? Why Or Why Not
How Many Chickens Should You Have?
While the size of your flock does depend on what your household needs are, assuming you want them for eggs, chickens are also socially complex, which plays a role in how many chickens you should have.
Your flock should not be smaller than three to meet all their social needs. This is an excellent number for beginners to start with to understand how to take care of chickens.
On average, laying hens produce up to 250 eggs per year. So, based on that, a family of three should have around 3-6 chickens in order to get about 2-4 eggs per day.
While you are more than welcome to have as many chickens as you like, we put together a chart as a basic guideline of how many chickens we recommend based on your household size.
| Household Size | Number Of Chickens |
|---|---|
| Family of 2 | 3+ |
| Family of 3 | 3-5 |
| Family of 4 | 4-6 |
| Family of 5 | 5-7 |
| Family of 6 | 6-8 |
| Family of 7 | 7-9 |
| Family of 8+ | 8+ |
How Big Of A Coop Do You Need?
This answer is not one size fits all. A few factors will influence the size of your coop, such as the size of your hens and flock, the number of roosters, the hen’s personalities and the run/yard size.
Hen and flock size
Not all hens are the same size, and depending on the type of hen you get, you may need to have a larger or smaller coop. As a general guideline, light to standard hens, such as Leghorns, need between 3 to 4 square feet per hen and around 10 square feet of run space outside the coop. Whereas heavy hens such as Plymouth Rock or Jersey Giants need 8 to 10 square feet per hen and 15 square feet of run space. In addition, the more hens you have, the more room you will need, regardless of their sizes.
Having one or more roosters
Roosters can be much larger than hens, so they will need more space, especially if you plan to have more than one rooster. When you have more than one rooster, they will fight for dominance over the flock. These occasional flights can become an issue if there is not enough space for the subordinate rooster to get away and this could lead to either a dead rooster or injured hens.
Personality and compatibility
Some hens have large personalities and simply do not get along with others. Depending on the breed of hen you get, they may be docile and calm or have more of an assertive and dominant personality.
Along with different personalities, mixing breeds can also lead to conflict within the flock. Now, this doesn’t mean that mixed flocks will not get along, just that sometimes there can be issues introducing new breeds. Because of this, it may be best to err on the side of caution and add more space to give them space. Doing this will let your hens distance themselves from one another while establishing their pecking order.
Run and yard size
The bigger the outdoor space, the happier your chickens will be. As mentioned above, for lighter/standard hens, the run space should be 10 square feet and 15 square feet for heavy hens. It is important to have an enclosed run, even if you have a large enough yard to let your chickens roam freely. This will give your chickens a safe space outdoors that protects them from predators (and keep them out of your garden).
We are fortunate enough to have over 2 acres of land in the woods and are currently in the process of turning an old tool shed into a chicken coop. While we do have enough space for them to roam around freely (and we will let them do this on days we are working outside), they will likely spend a lot of time in their run so they can enjoy the outdoors safely without us having to keep an eye on them.
How Many Nesting Boxes Do You Need?
The number of nesting boxes you will need depends on the amount of laying hens. On average, there should be one nesting box for every four hens. Personally, we think having more is better. If you do not have enough boxes, your hens may start to get territory and fight over the box. Not to mention, overcrowding can lead to broken eggs. However, hens are likely to pick a favourite box, and all try to use that one, so do not be surprised if one box has more eggs than the others.
Nesting boxes should be large enough for a hen to fit yet small enough to feel secure and safe while laying. Typical nesting boxes should be 12 inches around. If a box is too big, other hens may try squeezing in while another lays an egg.
For more information about nesting boxes, check out our article “Do Chickens Need Nesting Boxes? Why Or Why Not“
How Many Chickens Do You Need For A Dozen Eggs Per Week?
Chickens typically lay around 250 to 300 eggs annually and around five on average per week. You will only need three laying hens to get a dozen eggs weekly. However, this can vary depending on the breed, age and seasonal changes. In the colder months, hens will either slow down or stop laying eggs due to moulting, and their reproduction system slows down to rest and conserve energy to keep warm. During these months, you can expect to see a reduced amount of daily eggs and may need more eggs to reach a dozen eggs per week.
How Long Do Fresh Farm Eggs Last?
Depending on the storage method, fresh farm eggs can last quite some time. Eggs stored at room temperature will not remain as fresh as those in the refrigerator. If the eggs are unwashed and stored at room temperature, they can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks. In contrast, unwashed or washed eggs in the refrigerator can last up to three months.
It is important always to refrigerate eggs that have been washed. When you wash fresh farm eggs, you remove the natural protective layer called bloom, which protects the eggs from bacteria. This is why you always need to refrigerate store-bought eggs.
To learn more about preserving eggs for long-term storage, check out our article “How Long Do Farm Fresh Eggs Last? + 6 Ways To Preserve Eggs.”
