The rule of thumb for a run is 8 to 10 square feet per bird. If your chickens can’t safely free-range all day, then you’ll need an outside run that’s attached to the coop. Too small and you invite problems with cleanliness and behavior such as pecking.Ĭhickens need fresh air and sun to be at their healthiest. You can reduce to 3 feet for midweight and lightweight birds and 2 square feet for bantams. Whether you’re starting with your first coop or building a new one, you’ve got to know how much room, minimum square feet per bird inside the coop, that your chickens need.įour square feet is what’s needed for a heavy chicken such as a Brahma. PRESSLAB/Shutterstock Housing Requirements 4 This can lead to fights and injury so birds should be monitored and chicken keepers should be prepared to intervene. If you do want to keep more than one rooster, you can increase the chances they’ll get along if they are raised together or if you add a young rooster when you’re adding new pullets.ĭon’t forget, roosters will work out a pecking order between themselves. Others don’t want or can’t keep a larger flock and find their flock does well with a smaller ratio.īreeders also keep more roosters to hens. Some find keeping more hens with one rooster is better and go above 10. Too many roosters can also lead to over mating, causing the hens damage. Backyard space is limited, which can lead to aggression as a rooster defends his flock and territory from real or perceived threats. In backyard settings, the ideal ratio of roosters to hens is worth considering.

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The roosters all work out their pecking order, and the flock moves forward. In a large farm flock, people don’t worry too much about rooster ratios. A good ratio for a multi-sexed flock is 10 hens for every rooster. Ten is a number that often represents perfection, and it’s no different in the world of chicken math. Yes, you get your smaller order, but you’re also stuck with roosters.įollow this advice when adding new birds to your flock. If you decline to spend the extra money but still want a smaller order, some hatcheries will fill that box space-think heat-with sexed day-old roosters. Some have heat packs you can purchase to add in the box. Large fowl minimums may be less than bantam minimums.Ĭheck how your chosen hatchery will keep your chicks warm during shipping. Minimums can also depend on what you’re purchasing.

Minimums often go up in the colder months because more bodies equal more heat. This can vary depending on the time of year and your location. If you’re having chicks shipped, the base number will be determined by how many birds it’s safe to ship. This means even if you bought six birds from the same store three days ago, if you change your mind and want a few more, you’ll have to start with purchasing six again. Always check before you buy! You can always split an order with a friend or two.Īt farm-supply stores, the base minimum is usually six birds at a time. For that reason, the absolute minimum of day-old chickens you can normally buy from a hatchery or farm-supply store is three birds at a time.īeware that many places require purchases of more than three birds at a time.

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This of matter chicken math is a personal number based on household egg consumption, backyard space, time and even money.īut the real decision often comes down to where and how you purchase your birds.Ĭhickens are not solitary animals and need to be kept in a flock. New chicken-keepers often ask how many chickens they should get. Let’s take a look at the numbers that make chicken-keeping successful. Not the storied chicken math affliction of no self-control where you set out to raise a certain number of chickens, let’s say 10, then suddenly you’re saying things like “a few more won’t make a difference” and you find yourself with 30 birds in your backyard.Ĭhicken math involves the numbers that really count toward making sure you have a happy and healthy flock. Even when we’re keeping chickens, it all starts with the numbers: It’s chicken math. However, it turns out that our schoolteachers were right: We all need it.

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