A homestead can function with as many chickens that suit your needs, even one or two chickens can liven up your breakfasts without taking too much room. Generally, each person will be delegated about two chickens worth of every other day egg production to fulfill their egg-needs throughout the year. You may want to add a few more for extra uses like baking, frying, etc. It's important to consider who will be taking care of your chickens, and how much labor it will require to keep them healthy and happy. Chickens require daily feeding, and their pen not only needs to be cleared of eggs, but also cleaned of debris and waste. Chickens are a popular prey animal for a wide array of hungry predators, it's important to provide them with a safe place to hide at night.
Alternatively, rather than 2 chickens to a person, it may be better to delegate 3 chickens for every two people you intend to feed. This means a family of 4 would want about 6 chickens to fill their needs.
