How Many Chickens Should I Keep?

The honest starting point is at least three. Chickens are flock animals and a lone hen is a miserable one, so three is the practical minimum that keeps the birds settled and gives you a buffer if one stops laying or you lose a bird.

From there the number comes down to three things: how many eggs your household actually eats, how much space you have, and what your council allows.

Doing the egg maths

A good laying hen in her first year gives you roughly four to six eggs a week, and that drops in winter and as she ages. A useful rule of thumb is to count one productive hen per two eggs your household uses a week, then add one or two birds as a buffer for moulting, broodiness and the winter slowdown.

• A couple who eat half a dozen eggs a week: three hens covers it comfortably
• A family of four getting through a dozen or more a week: four to six hens
• Remember output falls in winter, so size for the lean months if you want year-round eggs

Space and housing

Crowding causes most backyard chicken problems, from feather-pecking to disease. As a guide, allow a couple of square metres of run per bird and enough coop space for them all to roost and to have a nest box for every three or four hens. More space is always better, and birds that can range need less fixed run.

What your council allows

Most New Zealand councils let you keep a reasonable number of hens on a residential section without a permit, but many set an upper limit and almost all ban roosters in urban areas because of noise. The limit and the rules vary by district, so check your council before you build up a big flock. See our guide to the rules on keeping chickens for what to look for.