The minimum space you need per chicken in a coop is 2 square feet per bird. The minimum space you need per chicken for an outside run/pen is 8 square feet per bird.
Once you know how many chickens you’re going to house, you’ll need to know how many nesting boxes to put in. The rule of thumb regarding the number of nesting boxes you need is 3-4 hens per nesting box. So, if you’re going to keep 10-11 hens in your coop as recommended for a comfortable number, you’ll need 3-4 nesting boxes.
While writing we ran into the query “How many chickens do I need for my backyard?”.
Don’t go over the top in the other direction though, you should always have at least three chickens. As I pointed out above, I think the best solution is to provide 3 square feet per chicken in a coop, and 10 square feet for their enclosed outdoor space.
This of course begs the query “How many chickens should I get?”
Chickens are social birds and they do not fare well on their own, so you should have a minimum of two. As a very loose rule of thumb, two to three hens per family member should cover your egg needs, or four if your family really loves eggs or plans to give eggs away occasionally.
Also, how many chickens can you have in your backyard?
There are several important rules you will need to comply with in order to keep a backyard chicken coop from being a nuisance for your neighbours, including: A maximum of 12 head of poultry per acre, on lots greater than 1 acre but less than 5 acres; or 4 hens per lot, on lots greater than 7,200 square feet but less than 1 acre.
How many chickens should a beginner start with?
Chickens are extremely flock-oriented, so a good starter flock size is no fewer than three chickens. You should collect about a dozen eggs from three laying hens. A flock of five or six hens is a good choice for slightly larger families. Baby chicks need to be kept under a heat lamp in the house for the first eight weeks of their life.
How big is an outside run for 12 chickens?
The outside run will measure 15 feet x 16 feet. (20 square feet per chicken x 12 chickens = 240 square feet) Hope this gives you some of the basics for building a coop and outside run that will keep your birds healthy and free from injury. Carrie Miller has a do-it yourself website/blog that is full of fun chicken projects.
How many chicks can One Hen raise successfully?
Hens can have up to 12 chicks at a time and usually only once per year . In some cases, they’ll have 2 broods and so have 24 chicks in one year. With 3 years of productive egg-laying, expect to breed between 36 and 72 chicks from one hen if that’s your goal. Let’s dig into the details and some commonly asked questions around chickens and.
How to make money with chickens?
Where to promote your poultry business, facebook, craigslist Write a Blog (that is the very reason this blog started)Instagram, twitter, poultry swaps, poultry auctions Putting signs up at feed stores, pet stores and veterinarian offices. Hanging business cards on community bulletin boards. Word of mouth.