How many chickens do you need for a family?
Short answer
Keep roughly one hen per adult, which gives about 220 eggs a year per person, and add 1–2 hens as a reserve. A flock should have at least 4 hens because a hen does not live well alone. A family of four adults needs 5–6 hens. You do not need a cockerel for eggs.
Hens by household
| Adults in the household | Hens | Eggs a year |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | about 880 |
| 3 | 4–5 | 880–1,100 |
| 4 | 5–6 | 1,100–1,320 |
| 6 | 7–8 | 1,540–1,760 |
What one hen needs
| Per hen | Planning figure |
|---|---|
| Hen house and run | about 10 m² |
| Feed | about 45 kg a year |
| Water | about 0.3 L a day |
| Work | about 10 minutes a week |
Before you bring hens home
- The hen house, fence and water must be ready first.
- Hybrids lay more. Heritage breeds last longer and cope better with free range, winter and disease.
- Register your flock where the law requires it, even for a few backyard hens. This applies in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland, among others.
Egg numbers vary with breed, age and daylight, so treat them as averages.
The full guide also gives you
Planning your flock: breeds, numbers, purpose
How many hens your family needs, which breeds to choose, heritage or hybrid, and what to get ready first
- Flock calculator
- Start-up cost, feed and water
- Comparing breeds and sellers
- Flock register
- The flock's first-year plan
Sources: FAO, Decision tools for family poultry development; Damerow, Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens; Defra and APHA poultry guidance.
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