# How many chickens are too many?



## AshleyFishy (Jun 27, 2013)

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?


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## Southern by choice (Jun 27, 2013)

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.


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## boykin2010 (Jun 27, 2013)

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


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## bj taylor (Jun 27, 2013)

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.


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## Kotori (Jun 28, 2013)

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.


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## AshleyFishy (Jun 28, 2013)

Kotori said:
			
		

> 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.


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## elevan (Jun 28, 2013)

AshleyFishy said:
			
		

> 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.


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## bcnewe2 (Jun 28, 2013)

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!


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## Bechicken (May 15, 2017)

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


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## Dozclan12 (Jun 1, 2017)

Southern by choice said:


> 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!


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## Southern by choice (Jun 1, 2017)

Dozclan12 said:


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


We have reduced, reduced, and reduced again.
We are down to our old favorites and a small group of active but pet chickens. Most of which are roosters.
We still have way too many feral chickens living deep in the woods though.

We decided our dairy goats were what we needed to focus on. When we move I will probably breed 2-3 varieties again.
I love my chickens.


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## Baymule (Jun 4, 2017)

Hmmm........ 28 layers, 2 of which are old and kept as pets. 14 chicks 3 weeks old and hatching more now, so far 12 new chicks. Is there such a thing as too many chickens????


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## babsbag (Jun 5, 2017)

I hatched out 28chicks a few months ago and usually sell them no problem. This year no buyers so I have 28 new birds plus probably another 25 in the coop; I should try and count them someday.  I know I have 5 hens and 2 roosters that live in my yard, one is broody right now so I need to watch her, I don't want a bunch of yard birds. I also have 6 guineas and 4 ducks.  I have a broody hen in my coop too.


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## Baymule (Jun 7, 2017)

My hatch finished with 17 chicks. Going to set some Muscovy eggs. it is truly a sickness.......


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## Bruce (Jun 8, 2017)

Baymule said:


> Is there such a thing as too many chickens????


Only if you don't have proper housing for them!


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## AClark (Jun 8, 2017)

Uhm, well, I have 19 half grown ones, 8 more chicks, and 12 eggs in the incubator set to hatch this weekend. Why? Because they're like pringles.


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## Bruce (Jun 8, 2017)

No no @AClark, Lays! Can't bring "plain" Lays into the house. DW has NO self control and will snarf the entire bag even if it is "family size". Their claim: "bet you can't eat just one" holds true for her. So I'm not allowed to bring them home unless I hide them and she doesn't know!! I trust she won't have any reason to look in the mid sized of our coolers in the laundry room  She is fine with a reasonable serving size of BBQ Lays.

And I don't care for "reconstituted potato mush" chips anyway


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## AClark (Jun 8, 2017)

I can easily eat just 1 potato chip, but pringles...nah, I can eat a whole can of those suckers. Sour cream and onion.


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