Adding a new chicken to my flock

This is the first year I have had chickens and so am new to a lot of things still.

I started with 5 pullets around 16 weeks old (2 black Australorps, 2 rhode Island reds and one arunacana) and so far so good. They are a great little flock. However the rhode island reds and the australorps often go off together on to hang out on their own and my poor Auracana seems left out of the loop. So I am thinking of getting another 16 week auracana pullet this spring to balance things out. I really only want to get one more bird for now - but have read a few places that you should add at least two new girls and not just one? Is this so the new girl does not get lonely during the 30 day quarantine?

Also - how far away does the quarantined bird need to be? We have a fenced in chicken yard (about 15 feet by 20 feet) and a fenced in garden area attached (about 20 feet by 50 feet). If I put the new girl in a small enclosure at the far end of the garden area away from the chicken run - is that far enough away for secure biohazard precautions?

Thanks for any advice you guys might have!!

I am getting the pullet from McMurray hatchery - not a private seller or a swap meet if that makes a difference...

Not really, it's so the focus of potential aggression is not on one chicken and also allows the formation of a sub flock until they all become "friends". There's no better justification for chicken maths issues I've ever come across !

Ct

Just remembered, on a less exciting note ( just joking, it's very interesting) you may find this helpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1074403/success-story-integrating-a-single-hen-into-a-flock


Ct