How One Kid's Chicken Math Changed Our Farm Forever
How One Kid's Chicken Math Changed Our Farm Forever
It started with a tomato.
A sweet, sun-warmed cherry tomato from the greenhouse was handed to a kid who'd never eaten one fresh. His eyes lit up like it was candy. And from that moment on, he was hooked—not just on the flavor but the farm.
I had no idea then what would come next.
This kid, Kewani, started helping with the chickens, feeding them, collecting eggs, and selling them with me at the farmers market.
That's when it happened.
We'd just sold out of eggs—every single carton—faster than we could set up our booth. We were packing up when he hit me with it:
"We need more chickens."
I laughed. "We can't. City ordinance won't let us."
But he didn't miss a beat.
"Yeah, but Sean—if we had just two more chickens, we could get two more eggs a day. That's enough to sell more eggs next time… and make more money."
And just like that, the chicken math hit me.
The Real Math Behind Egg Production
Most people don't realize that one hen lays about 5–6 eggs per week, depending on the breed, age, diet, and season. That means if you want 5 dozen eggs—or 60 eggs—a week, you need roughly:
10 to 12 reliable laying hens
But—and this is a big but—not all hens lay every day.
Even with perfect conditions, hens take breaks. They molt. They get broody. They slow down in winter. That's why you need to overestimate your needs by 10–20% if you want a consistent supply.
When we scaled up Blooming Health Farms, we didn't just double our birds for fun. We did it because egg demand increases faster than production. You'll fall short every time if you plan for the bare minimum.
So, if you're planning for:
5 dozen eggs/week → 12 to 14 hens
10 dozen eggs/week → 24 to 28 hens
More? Start thinking in flocks, not just numbers. You'll need rotational grazing, consistent feed, and clean collection systems.
Why Chickens Don't Always Lay Consistently
This was one of the first lessons I had to teach our youth farmers.
You can't just assume a hen = an egg. Chickens are animals, not machines. They lay based on:
Breed (Leghorns lay more than Silkies)
Nutrition (especially protein and calcium)
Stress (predators, heat, loud noises)
Season (light affects egg production)
Age (production drops after 2-3 years)
We learned to track each bird's output and adjust our numbers accordingly. The idea isn't to get perfect predictability—it's to build a system that allows for natural fluctuation without failure.
From Backyard Hobby to Scalable System
What started with a couple hens and a curious kid turned into something bigger.
We didn't just raise more chickens—we built a model. We brought in youth, tracked egg counts, created packaging systems, and documented it all in our Chicken Eggs protocol for Blooming Health Farms.
Every egg collected, bird fed, and customer served is part of the process. And now, with a little help, that system is something others can build, too.
So, How Many Chickens Do You Need?
Ask yourself:
How many eggs do you actually use each week?
Are you feeding just your family or selling to neighbors?
Do you want to scale or stay steady?
The answer isn't just about numbers—it's about designing a system that supports your goals. If you feed a household, 6–8 hens might be plenty. If you want to sell at the market, 20–40 birds is a solid start. If you're thinking small-scale production… you're in my territory now.
And if you're like Kewani, doing chicken math on the fly, then you already know you'll need more than you think.
Want to Build a Smarter Flock from the Start?
Whether you're planning to produce five dozen eggs a week or looking to scale your entire operation, you need more than birds—you need a blueprint.
Thinking Outside the Soil is that blueprint. It's where I break down how we went from a backyard coop to a youth-led urban egg farm. You'll learn how to match your goals to the number of birds you need, feed them without wasting money, and design a system that grows with you.
For even more technical planning, feed ratios, and scaling strategies, the Business Planning Guide offers insight into coop layouts, rotational grazing, and managing resource flow.
The best farms don't happen by accident. They're built one egg at a time.
Start building yours today with Thinking Outside the Soil—and get your chicken math right the first time. Click here to get yours!