HOW MANY CHICKENS SHOULD BEGINNERS START WITH?
Hooray! You’ve decided to start keeping poultry. But what is a good number of chickens to start with?
Having kept birds for over two decades, I suggest that no less than three be kept to begin with, with an ideal number being four or five.
SOCIALISATION
Chickens are often portrayed to be stupid but they’re far from it. Your hen can recognise between 20 and 30 individuals, including you. She can remember who you are, learn from positive and negative interactions and even share information with her flock. They also form friendships; I’ve often seen groups of chickens that will only hang out with each other and definitely have little cliques.
For that reason, having only two chickens definitely isn’t enough. And though a trio can work well, having four or five birds allows your flock to enjoy the socialisation they’re supposed to have.
A healthy hen needs lots of socialisation
NUMBER OF EGGS
For an average family, having only two hens simply won’t be enough to give you the eggs you want. Though many hybrid chickens lay almost an egg a day, if you only have two hens you might find yourself browsing the eggs at the supermarket. By keeping four or five point of lay hens (chickens that are starting to lay their first eggs and are about nine months old), you’ll enjoy three or four eggs a day. There’s nothing quite like popping over to the coop and filling up your egg basket.
LEARNING THE BASICS
Chickens really are very easy to keep, and there are a limited number of things that can go wrong. Even so, when a problem strikes, you want to be prepared. If you’re a beginner, suddenly dealing with a flock of thirty ill hens would be a nightmare. Having a smaller number will allow you to invest time and energy into those few individuals, making sure they get well and you have a positive learning experience. You can then grow your flock as and when you choose.
A small number of hens will allow you to get to grips with general husbandry, such as developing a cleaning and feeding routine. You can learn the basics of common problems such as feather mites, hen pecking and a chicken being egg bound. This will set you up with a goof foundation to expand your poultry.
A small group allows you to learn the basics without becoming overwhelmed
STARTER SETUP
The setup for two hens is essentially exactly the same as four or five. Though many coops are sold for just a couple of birds, these are (in my opinion) way too small for the average hen to live comfortably. A good poultry house and coop sized for the average back yard can house a small group of birds happily. If you decide to go down the hatching route, I have a great list of recommend items, but I would leave this exciting adventure until you’ve kept chickens for a little while.
Four or five hens can also be easily accommodated at home without wrecking the place. One thing you’ll learn that all those images and posters of chickens pecking happily across green lawns is false advertising. Chickens are destructive! Have too many and your garden will quickly turn into a muddy patch of bare earth. Having just a few to begin with allows you to get your starter coop built and to learn whether you want to rotate the house or have a static run you then let the birds out of from time to time.
silkies in woodland
rare breed buff nankin bantams
I LOVE chicken keeping. And I quickly increased my initial four hens once I learned the basics. I now have over 50 birds, from chickens and quail to pheasants and geese. But if you’re wondering what the best number of chickens to start with is, I highly recommend four or five birds - it’s easier to remember their names too. Once you get 20 or so, it gets complicated!