How many chickens are too many?

[AshleyFishy]

Lol I think I'm becoming a chicken hoarder. I have 18 hens at the time of this writing. They are kept in a 12' by 20' coop at night, along with a "mini" potbelly pig, also they have two pasture acres to free range all day. What is truly an acceptable number of chickens for this size set up?

I keep looking at all the empty roost space and going "hmm... I saw some really nice hatching eggs on ebay last night"

I honestly do not want to over crowd the girls or have them over browse my pasture. I am adding three Muscovy ducks to my little farm soon, so that will need to be taken into account. I just don't know if I need to put my cut off at 18 or if I can go up to say 22-24?

 

[Southern by choice]

If they only use the building to sleep in you can have alot of birds.

We have 400+sq ft in one building... our birds roost at night on the rafters. They only sleep in there, many of our birds sleep in the trees at night or on the roof top of the one building. I estimate 150-200 birds roost there at night on the rafters. 180ft of main rafter space and another 20 lengthwise. We have 3 8ft ladders also... all comfortable. They range everywhere mostly deep in the woods. We have geese and ducks and turkeys too... they will not seek any shelter ever. You would never believe there were that many birds in there, they are not crowded at all. Altogether we have about 300 right now, scattered everywhere, nursery buildings and brooders etc.

We scoop our coop every morning we use extremely fine shavings ( almost like sawdust) keeps it clean.

 

[boykin2010]

You can never have too many!!

I don't even want to go out and count how many I have. Honestly the numbers change depending on what day you ask me... I hatch every Saturday and ship chicks on Monday.
I have no idea how many adult/juvenile birds I have... I would guess around 100 at least

 

[bj taylor]

i'm on the other end of the spectrum. I have a small coop. it will comfortably accommodate about 10 birds. I currently have 17 in there. there is technically plenty of space - but there are a few birds who make roosting difficult for the other birds. since these were my first, they're more pets than anything (even though they give me great eggs) so I won't be culling them despite them being bullies sometimes. I will be thinning this flock down very soon & getting my numbers back into a more comfortable zone for them and me.

my birds free range, so roosting at night is the only time they're confined. I think you have to evaluate how the flock is functioning in your situation to determine if things are harmonious or if there is serious conflict.

 

[Kotori]

I have no chickens, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I think 'too many' is when you spend more on their feed than what they give back, or you don't need what they produce. As long as they aren't overcrowded, and you use what they give you, you don't have too many. Since you're getting new animals, I'd be cautious about adding even more chickens untill you know how much the ducks will impact the pasture.

 

[AshleyFishy]

I have no chickens, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I think 'too many' is when you spend more on their feed than what they give back, or you don't need what they produce. As long as they aren't overcrowded, and you use what they give you, you don't have too many. Since you're getting new animals, I'd be cautious about adding even more chickens untill you know how much the ducks will impact the pasture.

I too agree about waiting to see how the ducks will fit into the picture. As for feed cost mine cost very little. I farm my own maggots for them to munch. A little duckweed here and there for free. Fallen fruit off of the trees and kitchen scraps. When I had a jersey they got clabbered milk and will again when the goats go in milk. Plus anything they find while free ranging.

So all they really cost me is a bag of grit, oyster shell and scratch grains for those little extra needs.

 

[elevan]

Lol I think I'm becoming a chicken hoarder. I have 18 hens at the time of this writing. They are kept in a 12' by 20' coop at night, along with a "mini" potbelly pig, also they have two pasture acres to free range all day. What is truly an acceptable number of chickens for this size set up?

I keep looking at all the empty roost space and going "hmm... I saw some really nice hatching eggs on ebay last night"

I honestly do not want to over crowd the girls or have them over browse my pasture. I am adding three Muscovy ducks to my little farm soon, so that will need to be taken into account. I just don't know if I need to put my cut off at 18 or if I can go up to say 22-24?

12x20 is pretty close to my coop I'd say...I've had upwards of 75 fowl cooping there at night. They only use it to roost mind you, no eating or anything else in there but 2 nest boxes, the rest of the boxes are in the barn. When I say fowl, I'm talking a combo of chicken, guinea and ducks. Right now we have 21 chickens, 6 guinea, 12 ducks in there at night. I think you're good with upping your numbers just a little.

 

[bcnewe2]

I have 8 hens and 1 rooster (fox damage left us with very few) My coop is probably 12 x12 or bigger. But every night everyone fights over the prime spots. Some spots are left empty. Then there are those hens and occasionally the rooster that say we're not staying in the coop we're roosting in the barn rafters. Always one that never sleeps in the coop but the others are just visitors of the rafters.
We have egg layer in there (plus they get fed goodies in the am) and water available all places. nest boxes are in a different stall. lately early evenings I find them all in the coop laying in the dusty floor enjoying the fan but by 7pm they have all gone back out for an evening snack. I turn the fan off after dark, I think they get chilly with blowing air on them all night.

I love my chickens and think they are totally spoiled!

 

[Bechicken]

Haha.. My boyfriend told me the same thing but I currently have 4 easter eggers and 5 Barred Rocks. Love my Chicken.

 

[Dozclan12]

If they only use the building to sleep in you can have alot of birds.

We have 400+sq ft in one building... our birds roost at night on the rafters. They only sleep in there, many of our birds sleep in the trees at night or on the roof top of the one building. I estimate 150-200 birds roost there at night on the rafters. 180ft of main rafter space and another 20 lengthwise. We have 3 8ft ladders also... all comfortable. They range everywhere mostly deep in the woods. We have geese and ducks and turkeys too... they will not seek any shelter ever. You would never believe there were that many birds in there, they are not crowded at all. Altogether we have about 300 right now, scattered everywhere, nursery buildings and brooders etc.

We scoop our coop every morning we use extremely fine shavings ( almost like sawdust) keeps it clean.

That's...a .. lot.. of.. birds!