Introducing new chicks/ odd number of chicks?

[urbanchicks76]

I would love your best advice. We lost a chicken today. We originally wanted 4. Now that we lost one I am thinking if we should replace it but I know we would need to get at least 2. I have read that its better to keep chickens in even numbers. Is it ok to keep 5 chickens or will there be problems with one left out?

Since my chicks are 5 weeks old what is the best way to do this? I wish I could find some chicks the same age, but most likely I will have to start all over again with baby chicks.

I was planing on putting my 5 week old chicks outside in the coop. Since I live in S.CA and the weather is very warm is it ok to stop the light at this age (a lady at the feed store said we could stop at 3 weeks, really?)? That way I could get my new babies under the light and introduce them in a few weeks. I'm so confused on how to do this.

is it better to just stick with my 3 and call it a day?

 

[PunkinPeep]

Five chickens will be fine. I have never read of, heard about, or experienced a problem with having an odd number of chickens. I would suggest getting more of the new ones than you have already. That will make integration a little easier.

Your five week olds will be a-ok without the heat lamp. Mine are about a month and haven't had their heat lamp for a week.

I would get the new chicks asap and integrate right at 3 weeks, as long as the weather's still nice. You might find that you don't have too much problem integrating them. Doing this at the young ages is much easier than as adults.

You could try putting them together (which i have done) during the day and just watching them to see how they do.

If your'e a little less daring than i am, put the newbies in the coop during the day, inside a cage, so they can get to know each other with the ability to attack each other. At that age, you should be able to do it for a day or two and then integrate them in the run or while free ranging. You can let them go back in their cage at night if you're nervous.

It's really kind of a play it by ear thing for me, but those are the basics i would use.