So last weekend I decided to do some spring cleaning in the backyard coop.
Big mistake!
I accidentally knocked over the nesting boxes and ended up with eggs everywhere.
I was scrambling (no pun intended) to pick them all up before the hens noticed.
But ol’ Bessie caught me red handed and gave me a real pecking! Let me tell ya, those girls may be tiny but they pack one heck of a punch.
It really got me thinking – do I even have enough hens to provide eggs for my family of four? I started doing some research and here’s what I found.
The short answer is you’ll typically need 4-6 hens to provide enough eggs for a family of 2-4 people.
But there are a few other factors to consider too like how many eggs your family eats per week.
Did you know the average American family eats over 300 eggs a year? You’ll want to factor that in when deciding how many chickens to get.
Table of Contents
Cracking the Egg Production Code: How Many Hens You Need by Household Size
| Family Size | # Chickens | Monthly Egg Production |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2-3 | 40-60 eggs |
| 3 | 3-4 | 60-80 eggs |
| 4 | 4-5 | 80-100 eggs |
| 5 | 6 | 100-125 eggs |
| 6 | 6-8 | 100-150 eggs |
| 7 | 7-9 | 115-175 eggs |
| 8 | 8-10 | 130-200 eggs |
Taking Inventory of Your Family’s Egg Needs
The first step is doing an egg census in your kitchen – take stock of how many cartons you go through in an average week.
Jot that number down and take a peek in your fridge and pantry too see what recipes calling for eggs tend to be in rotation.
For us, we easily used two dozen eggs each Saturday making pancakes for the whole clan after early soccer games.
That’s two dozen just for one breakfast!
You’ll also want to account for baking and other recipes you enjoy that include eggs since fresh from the yard ones will likely get used up quick.
Do you bake a lot of cookies or make homemade mayo? Those recipes tend to gobble up eggs fast.
Take your best guess at a weekly egg usage number and write it down, you’ll use it later to calculate flock size.
It was an eye opener for me to sit down and really think through just how many eggs four hungry people and one avid baker go through.
Our usage was closer to four dozen eggs each week which meant those five noisy ladies just weren’t hacking it.
The general rule of thumb is one hen will lay around 250-300 eggs in a year which breaks down to about one egg per day.
So if your family uses two dozen eggs weekly, you’ll need a minimum of 12 hens.
Three dozen eggs weekly means 18 hens and so on.
This will give you a solid base number to work from.
Of course yields may vary with breed, age and environment.
And you’ll want to plan having a few extras in case of any health issues with individual birds.
But the egg-to-hen math is a great starting point.
Choosing Breeds Known for Their Laying Abilities
When it comes to selecting which chickens to add to your flock, aim for breeds with a proven track record of egg productivity.
Here are some top options to consider:
Leghorn hens have a reputation for being egg laying machines.
These friendly birds can pump out an amazing 300 eggs per year on average.
No wonder they are America’s most popular commercial layer breed.
Just be aware Leghorns are fluff birds not meant for cold climates, an indoor coop is best if you live in snow country.
Rhode Island Reds are dual purpose birds valued for both their meat and eggs.
While they may not set records like the Leghorns, these hardy gals can still crank out around 250 brown-shelled eggs annually.
RIRs do well in all climates too which makes them a versatile choice.
Easter Eggers are becoming a favorite backyard option since they come in a kaleidoscope of fun colors like green, blue and pink thanks to genetic traits from Araucana chickens.
Personality-wise they are mellow farm pets too.
When selecting breeds, also factor in traits like ability to set on their own eggs if you want chicks, temperament around children and resistance to common poultry illnesses.
Health and happy hens will reward you with the most eggs after all.
Some other breeds worth considering include Salmon Faverolles for their charming temperaments and cream colored eggs, sex link hybrids for consistent 280 egg years or Ameraucanas for their blue/green egg beauty and docility.
Do your research to pick chickens that fit your family needs and climate.
How Many Chickens Do You Need For a Family of 2?
For a household of two adults, 2-3 hens should suffice to produce around 3-4 eggs per day.
That’s plenty for scrambling, baking, or adding to salads in the morning.
And maybe with a few extra for snack time too!
Hens are quite productive layers in their first year when they’ll give you around 250-300 eggs.
After that their output slows some but you can still count on 150-200 eggs a year from mature hens.
2 hens would give you around 250 eggs each in the first year, so 500 eggs total which is over 2 eggs a day.
3 hens would be 750 eggs or just over 3 eggs a day.
So whether you go with 2 or 3 hens, you’ll have no problem getting your daily eggs for breakfast and beyond with just a couple mouths to feed.
Did you know each hen will eat about 1/4 cup of feed each day? So for 2 hens plan to provide 1/2 cup of feed and for 3 hens around 3/4 cup.
Be sure to supply clean water as well in a spill proof bowl they can’t easily knock over.
Check for fresh eggs twice daily, once in the morning and again before bed, so no eggs get wasted if they happen to be laid during the day.
With just a bit of feed and a few minutes daily to collect eggs, 2-3 hens is low maintenance while providing breakfast all week.
How Many Chickens Do You Need For a Family of 3?
With one more hungry kid or spouse to feed, you’ll want 3-4 hens for a family of three to be safe.
These sweet girls will provide around 4-6 large, brown eggs daily for your pancakes, omelettes and more.
3 hens would give you around 750 eggs the first year which is close to 4 eggs a day.
4 hens would be about 1000 eggs or just over 5 eggs a day.
Be sure to collect the eggs at least once a day so the hens keep laying regularly.
Nothing worse than coming home and finding eggs all smashed up after the hens have been sitting on them all afternoon!
With 3-4 hens you’ll have plenty of fresh eggs for the whole fam each morning without any leftovers going to waste.
Did you know chicken feed comes in both mesh bags and larger tubs? For 3 hens, a 25lb bag of feed will likely last 3 months and cost around $15.
Providing fresh water is important too.
A 1 gallon waterer will suffice for 3 hens, just refill it each morning.
With a bit of prep work each week like cleaning coop/feeders, 3-4 hens is the perfect low-effort way to enjoy homegrown eggs.
How Many Chickens Do You Need For a Family of 4?
For a typical American family of 4 people, you’ll want 4-5 hens to provide a steady supply of eggs throughout the week.
4 hens will lay around 1000 eggs in their first productive year.
With fresh eggs every day that’s over 5 eggs a day on average for your growing gang.
5 hens would boost egg production to about 1250 eggs or a little over 6 eggs a day.
Whether you go with the minimum of 4 hens or add an extra girl for a buffer, you’ll have lots of options for breakfast classics like scrambled, over easy and more.
And on busy school/work mornings those extra eggs from 5 hens could mean the difference between grabbing cereal in a hurry vs a hearty homemade meal to start the day.
With 4-5 chickens you’ll always have enough to feed your family of 4 without running low.
For 4 hens, plan to feed them around 1 cup of feed each morning and evening.
And replace their 2 gallon waterer daily as they’ll drink more with warmer weather arriving.
Collecting eggs from 4-5 hens takes only a few minutes in the morning or evening.
What a simple reward for your small daily chore!
How Many Chickens Do You Need For a Family of 5?
If you’ve got a whole baseball team worth of kids and adults to feed breakfast daily, 6 hens will do the trick nicely.
6 ladies laying will yield around 1500 tasty eggs their first year.
That’s over 7 jumbo eggs a day on average for your crew of 5.
Nothing better than a hot breakfast to start the day, especially for growing kids.
And on the weekends you can get creative with frittata’s and quiches too using all those fresh eggs.
On busy mornings those extra eggs from 6 hens will save your butt when kids are dragging their feet to get out the door.
Whether it’s breakfast burritos one day or an easy egg bake the next, 6 hens will supply you with ingredients galore.
So for a family of 5, aim for 6 hens to keep the eggs coming consistently week after week.
To care for 6 hens, keep their feed and water bowls full each morning.
A 35lb bag of feed should last about 2 months at a $20 cost.
Cleanup is still just 10 minutes daily which is totally worth fresh eggs anytime you want them.
How Many Chickens Do You Need For a Family of 6?
For a whole passel of 6 people or more under one roof, you’ll be happiest with a flock of 6-8 egg-laying chickens.
6 hens will give you around 1500 eggs the first year as mentioned.
8 hens would boost production to a nice round 2000 eggs, which equals out to around 8-10 jumbo eggs daily!
With that many kids likely friends coming and going too, you’ll go through eggs lickety-split.
So the larger flock of 8 hens acts as a buffer against running low.
Whether you need a dozen eggs for a batch of mug cakes one morning or just want scrambled eggs every day, 8 hens will cover your egg needs.
Kids have big appetites too, so extra eggs also means batch cooking frittatas and quiches to reheat for easy meals later in the week when time is tight.
So for a big family of 6 or more people under one very busy roof, 8 hens will keep you covered with an abundant egg supply.
For 8 hens, plan to buy a 40-50lb bag of feed monthly at around $25-30.
They’ll drink 2 gallons of water daily too when it’s hot out.
Spend 15 minutes in the morning to feed, water and collect eggs.
What a rewarding way to start each new day!
In conclusion, 4 chickens provides the baseline for a family of 2-4.
Add 1-2 chickens per additional family member to reliably meet your weekly egg needs.
And happy egg collecting! Let me know if you have any other poultry questions.
Selecting Chickens For Your Family
When choosing which breeds to get, consider egg color and size preferences.
Popular egg layers include Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, Easter Eggers and more.
Order chicks in the spring for fall/winter eggs or get pullets in summer for eggs by winter.
Chicks need heat lamps for 4 weeks so plan housing needs in advance.
Consider temperament too, as some breeds can be flighty while others like Buff Orpingtons are quite calm and friendly.
Setting Up Housing and Taking Chicken Care 101
Once you’ve got your flock picked out, it’s time to chicken-proof your yard and construct comfortable living quarters.
Your ladies will need:
A well-built coop that’s easily cleaned and protective from predators.
As a general rule, aim to provide at least 3 square feet per bird of coop space which will give them room to spread out and scratch around.
Canvas covered tractors or large dog kennels on wheels make for movable coops too.
A fenced run attached to the coop for daily free ranging and exercise.
Chicken wire, woven wire or t-posts work for setups.
Make sure the fence is buried or angled out at the bottom to deter digging predators.
Ten square feet per bird is a good rule of thumb for run space.
Roosting bars or low perches for nighttime sleeping.
Chickens feel safer elevated and it keeps their poop contained below.
Wooden dowels or 2x4s work well, just make sure there’s at least 6-8 inches of space per bird to roost.
Nesting boxes for laying with shavings, straw or even torn newspaper for bedding material.
One box per 3-4 hens ensures enough private spaces.
Dim lighting and seclusion helps encourage natural laying habits.
A secure feeder and two founts or bins of fresh water that can’t be tipped over.
Chickens eat around 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of feed daily on average depending on age, breed and season.
Daily cleanings of feed/water fixtures, egg collection and spot cleaning beneath roosts and nest boxes keeps coop sanitary.
Biweekly or monthly deeper power washing refreshes their living space.
Healthy girls means optimal laying!
Following basic biosecurity, having your vet inspect new additions and monitoring flock health closely prevents introduction of illnesses too.
Any sick bird gets prompt vet attention of course.
With the right setup and TLC, you’ll be enjoying decades of fresh eggs in no time with happy chickens as your pets.
Just don’t forget to thank them with treats sometimes too!
Developing an Egg Empire and Loving It
After that first season you may be surprised just how many delicious eggs your flock produces each week.
What’s better than cracked fresh omelets every Saturday? With yields like 300 plus a year from your Leghorns, you’re bound to end up with extras.
Selling a few dozen locally is a great way to recoup feed costs over the year.
Just check with your state regulations which usually allow small sales without licensing.
Place an “Egg Stand” ad on community sites or set up a decorated wagon outside your gate on Saturdays.
Local retirement homes, cafes or parents of young soccer players are sure to appreciate the treasure too.
Don’t be shocked when regular customers start begging for baby chicks come springtime either! Before you know it your little hobby becomes a neighborhood tradition everyone raves about.
Kids especially get a kick out of learning where their breakfasts come from each morning.
They may even want to get in on the egg hunt fun or name their favorite chooks.
I still chuckle thinking of six year old Timmy running around clutching an egg half his size yelling “Clucky laid me a big one today Daddy!”.
Priceless memories for sure.
So instead of stressing will you have enough eggs, relax knowing the math is on your side.
follow these guidelines on flock size planning according to your family needs and you’ll be treated to farm fresh breakfasts for decades to come.
Who wouldn’t want that?
Protecting Your Flock’s Health
Check the girls over frequently for mites, lice or other pests.
Treat promptly to avoid larger issues.
Vaccinate for Marek’s disease and consider others depending on your region’s risks for avian influenza and more.
Keep feed and water bowls thoroughly cleaned to prevent disease transmission.
Replace water daily and scrub feeders weekly.
Gathering And Storing Fresh Eggs
Collect eggs 2-3 times daily, being gentle to avoid breaking shells.
Hold each end and roll an egg onto a carton or bowl.
Wash eggs only if visibly dirty as the natural bloom on clean eggs acts as a protective coating.
Then refrigerate within a week of laying.
Enjoy fresh eating eggs within 3-5 weeks.
Or let hens continue incubating already fertilized eggs for chicks in springtime.
I hope these tips help you set up your flock for success! Hit me up if you need any other poultry husbandry guidance.
In a nutshell, to consistently provide eggs for the average family of four aim for 6-12 productive hens from breeds like Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds or Easter Eggers. Give them a well-built coop, run care and you’ll develop your own egg empire for the neighborhood to love too!.
