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. 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. 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. If either of these is not the case, it is best to place less than 10 chickens in the 10’ x 10’ area.S ome people love math others hate it. If some or all of your chickens are a smaller breed, like bantams, you may add more chickens to a 10’ x 10’ run.Īnother factor in determining how many chickens can fit in a run is if they all get along and whether you clean the run daily. If you have both standard size and larger chickens like Silkies, you’ll need to factor in the additional space needed for the larger breed. This number may change if you have a larger breed of chickens, though various breeds fall within the standard size category. Next, divide this amount by the 10 square feet needed per chicken, and you get 10 chickens. To calculate this, multiply the 10’ by 10’ to get 100 total square feet. A chicken needs at least 10 square feet of space in an outside run. When considering purchasing a chicken run for sale, make sure the measurements are accurate. You can fit up to 10 standard size chickens in a 10’ x 10’ run if you follow the minimum amount of space needed per chicken.
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