2 vs 3 chicks - big difference when it comes to integration?

[My Three Chicks]

I have 6 beloved hens ranging from 2 to 4 yrs old. I can have up to 8 chickens here in Seattle, although I’m sure I can get away with 9 (haven’t seen any chicken patrol snooping around ).

I’m so excited about getting a couple of chicks this spring. I really only want 2 more to equal 8. It’s just solo me here and for some reason 9 sounds overwhelming, where 8 sounds manageable

Found a local feed store that has a minimum purchase of only 2!

My only concern/worry is whether integrating 2 vs 3 is a lot harder for the newbies. Thoughts/experience please?

I previously integrated 3 chicks with 3 hens. I had no issues at all. But this time they’ll be ‘outnumbered’ 3 to 1. I do have a very strong integration plan that includes a lot of space and time (kept them side by side for a month once chicks moved outdoors!).

Also put aside the fact that I know with 2 chicks there’s a chance 1 could die or end up as a roo.

Do you think integrating 2 is ok (from the chicks perspective )?

Thanks for reading. I tend to be long winded

 

[rosemarythyme]

Probably ok with 2 but as you note, if one passes away then it's a solo integration which is tougher. That said, I used to compensate with an extra chick "just in case" and then never had one pass once I had that mindset, so I always ended up with an extra.

Do you have neighbors or friends with a flock? You could perhaps consider rehoming the extra bird if needed, if you want to make sure that you end up with at least 2.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Also put aside the fact that I know with 2 chicks there’s a chance 1 could die or end up as a roo.

Do you think integrating 2 is ok (from the chicks perspective )?

From the chick's perspective I'd expect two to integrate as well as three. They are social animals and they need a buddy. One buddy should be enough.

You are aware of the downsides. One could die or you may get 1 or even 2 males. You can mitigate the risk of males by getting sexed pullets. If you get sex-link linked pullets you should be pretty safe with that.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Probably ok with 2 but as you note, if one passes away then it's a solo integration which is tougher. That said, I used to compensate with an extra chick "just in case" and then never had one pass once I had that mindset, so I always ended up with an extra.

Do you have neighbors or friends with a flock? You could perhaps consider rehoming the extra bird if needed, if you want to make sure that you end up with at least 2.

If i get 2 and I dies or turns out to be a roo, I'll get another one same age as lone chick. I definitely won't integrate just 1.

 

[My Three Chicks]

From the chick's perspective I'd expect two to integrate as well as three. They are social animals and they need a buddy. One buddy should be enough.

You are aware of the downsides. One could die or you may get 1 or even 2 males. You can mitigate the risk of males by getting sexed pullets. If you get sex-link linked pullets you should be pretty safe with that.

Will definitely get sexed pullet chicks. Although I know it's not 100% accurate.
Was more worried that if they get bullied maybe spreading it out amongst 3 newbies vs 2 newbies would be a lot easier for them? If it's essentially the same then 2 is preferred!

 

[Ridgerunner]

My experience with bullying is that it is not spread out. Typically one chick is selected for bullying and they concentrate on that one. In my flock this is really rare.

What often happens is that one or more chicks invade the personal space of an adult hen. The hen pecks or attacks the chick to run them away. If they run away everything is good. If they are trapped and cannot run away it can be deadly. I personally don't consider this bullying, just a natural reaction of hens to chicks not their own. To me bullying is when a chicken purposely seeks out and attacks another chicken.

 

[K0k0shka]

A lot of what people think of as bullying is actually normal inter-generational drama, as Ridgerunner said. If it's true bullying and the bullies have picked out a target, it won't make a difference how many other newcomers you have. And to spread out the normal conflicts, you need more space, not more newcomers. Lots of space! And lots of feeders, waterers, perches, and other items the older chickens may get territorial about. Spread them out around the coop and run and make sure there's multiples of everything in different locations, and that you have well above the recommended minimum of 4 sq.ft. inside and 10 sq.ft. outside per chicken in terms of floor area. And be prepared that the two groups may never be friends, and may continue to squabble indefinitely. The goal is for nobody to shed blood, lose feathers, or lose access to resources in the process. Less serious drama is part of the deal. I've tried adding chickens different ways - hatched and raised by a broody with the flock, slipped under a broody at 1 day old, or raised in the house and integrated at 5 weeks old. All of them the same breed as the majority of the original flock. No matter how they are added, and how many years they live together thereafter, the OGs always make it known that they will never fully belong. No bloodshed or plucking, and they all sleep on the same roost, but the OGs will dust bathe together, preen side by side etc. and act as a cohesive group, but they won't allow any of the subsequent additions to join in or come too close. Just small, subtle micro-aggressions, enough to send the message "you will be an other forever". Chickens are cold-hearted meanies, but at least they're cute!

 

[My Three Chicks]

@Ridgerunner and @K0k0shka Good points. Fortunately I've never had any bullying in my small flock with the 2 integrations I've done in my 4 short years of chicken keeping.

I'm feeling comfortable with adding just the 2. Thanks!

 

[Seaslug]

K0k0shka writes what I have experienced -- that my chicks seem to truly bond with their "nest" mates. It doesn't matter if I get more chicks a few weeks later (like I did this year) or not, their closest bonds come from whoever is there day one.
That said, I've always worked with small numbers. I started with six, divided into 3 breeds of 3, 2, and 1 individual(s) and the hens seemed to group by breed. The odd one out has remained the top girl all this time. Then I got four of the same breed and reared them together. They have stuck together, although one had an independent streak. This past year I raised four, two each time, less than a month apart. They spent time together before joining the adult hens, and it shows. But their best buddy is the hen with which they were reared.
In my experience these preferences last years, so it isn't just through chick-hood that one has to worry about survival -- I think that personally my ideal rearing number is three. It provides some safety for the future (who wants to go through life without a friend?) and larger numbers seem to permit group fragmentation. Plus PA does not permit single chick purchases.