Chicken Info

[MaureenHall]

Best to start off with 3, then if 1 does die, then the others won't be lonely. If you do ever get to the stage where you do have just 1 left, she'll be fine for a couple of days or so, but I'd then introduce another 2. That way, any possible aggro from the first hen (she'll be top of the pecking order) will have to be divided. Introduce new girls at night, pop them into the coop at bedtime, shut the door and they'll (mostly) be fine Either that or completely change the coop and run location so that it's all new for all of them

[RedThorn]

sorry if you interpreted my post as argumentative, I was at work and needed to get going, but did not want to leave you hanging, so to speak.

Hope the others have answered your questions and yes Tony it can happen that they kill each other, it's rare but can and does happen and in most cases when introducing only 1 girl

[Eco-Chic]

Tony,

I have that coop (sans the external nest box) and I had 4 x bantams in it. Plenty of space in the coop for them as they're half the size of most Large Fowl chooks and when they grow up a bit I'll still have room to put in a nest box for them. The run is a bit small IMO if they're expected to live in it most of the time and are not allowed to free range. I usually allow mine to free range during the afternoon.

The Norfolk is big enough coop wise for 3 or 4 full size chooks but I don't think the run is big enough.

I intend to knock up a portable run with a hard top roof so the chooks can scratch about when I can't be there to let them free range or when the weather is dreadfully wet as they're too thick to seek shelter.

[RichmondHens]

Tony, that coop is way not big enough. The house part is fine but the run is teeny. Even 2 birds in there would get bored v v quickly. The reason why many people have pecking problems and fighting is their birds are in too small a space. There is no room for any bird to escape and hide except back in the house, which is not ideal. The only way you could make that coop an option is for your hens to be let out to range during the day, and for you to just use it as a holding pen for letting them out into first thing in the morning, but I would not wish to see a bird staying in there all day.

Your question re numbers, you CAN keep just two (breeding pairs are exactly that although the hen ratio is generally upped to stop the cock wearing them out). If you keep two hens together and one dies, and you need to replace it, the sole survivor will be fine for a couple of days or so without a companion. She may not like it, but it won't harm her.