If you have no previous experience looking after chickens, it’s best to start with just two or three hens. All hens, note - no cockerels.This will introduce you gently to the routines of egg-collecting, coop cleaning, and hen feeding.
Apart from that, though, chickens are very good at looking after themselves. They tend to stick together in a loose flock, even if foraging in a garden or meadow, and they always know when it’s time for bed. All you need to do is make sure the coop is open, and they will retire at dusk.
![Chickens](https://www.omlet.co.uk/images/originals/Chickens-Chicken_Guide-A_Flock_Of_Free_Range_Chickens.jpg)
This is too many chickens for a beginner!
It’s not recommended to start with just one hen, though. Chickens are sociable animals, and although some breeds get used to human company and can become household pets, that’s not something a complete beginner should consider.
Once you have some experience with hens, you can start to boost the humbers - if that’s what you any. Many owners are perfectly happy with just two of three birds, and the 9 to 15 eggs that will lay - most weeks, at least.
Comments
Robyn, 1 February 2023
I’ve heard you should start with a minimum of to help them form a flock and establish a pecking order and social hierarchy. Two might be too few for them.