Adding 1 or 2 to a small flock of 3?

[honkhonkbeep]

Hey y'all! I know there are a million threads on whether to add or not, but I have a pretty direct question about whether it's better to add 1 or 2 hens together.

My coop and run has enough space for two more chickens, max. I would personally rather just get one hen to maximize the space for everyone. But because my flock is so small - I only have 3, a very sweet roo and two young hens - I've heard that it's ideal to bring two new hens in together rather than one by herself, to keep her from getting too picked on or ganged up on during and after integration. What are your thoughts on this? I know pecking'll happen no matter what, but would adding one lone hen to a small flock truly invite more issues than adding two?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I would not add 1, if you can avoid it. I have added 1 with bad results.

You might be able to add 2 bantams if space is a concern. Just an idea.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I wouldn't add just one. She would have the disadvantage of being the odd-one-out and suffer the bullying that comes with it. Far preferable to get two and quarantine them together in a look but don't touch situation with your existing flock. Quarantine should last a month. In this way your new girls will already have at least one friend (each other), be acquainted with your existing flock, by sight and sound, and it will give them a much better outcome.

 

[aart]

but would adding one lone hen to a small flock truly invite more issues than adding two?

Yes.

My coop and run has enough space for two more chickens, max.

Am guessing you don't have enough space, integration works best with 'extra' space.

How big is coop in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help here.

 

[NatJ]

You could get just one new hen, and introduce one of your existing hens to her. (Introducing one new to one old means no-one is outnumbered.)

Then when those two are getting along well, add them to the other two of your current birds. (So you're introducing a group of two, and another group of two. No-one is outnumbered this time either.)

 

[3KillerBs]

I second @aart's request for photos and dimensions.

My flock consists of 4 different groups of different ages and sources and I've noticed that even fully integrated they hang together with their original group so I would be concerned about adding just one.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I also question how much room you have, both inside the coop and outside in the run. The room outside doesn't help if it is not available so where are you? Will you have weather where that room is available when you try to do this? How much room you have in feet or meters and photos of what you have to work with can help us give you specific suggestions that might fit your situation.

How old are your current chickens and how old would be the ones you add? Age and age differences can have a big effect on how they act. You say you have room for two more maximum. What are you basing that on? I tend to go more by expected behaviors than any square feet calculations. Because of behaviors integration usually goes better with more room. Much more room.

The difference in enough room for two more and wanting to add one more to maximize space when you start with three just isn't enough to account for those behaviors. One of the ways chickens have learned to live together in a flock is that when there is conflict the loser or weaker runs away. There may be some chasing but if one runs away and gets away things usually works out. And the weaker avoids the stronger. Once they are fully integrated there probably won't be any real conflict but during integration there often is. Having enough room to run away and then avoid can be very important.

Usually adding adults to adults is more violent. They tend to sort out the pecking order and get it over with. Sometimes this goes pretty smoothly, sometimes not. Having more room helps. If you are only going to add one I'd want them all to be adults.

If either group is less mature than the others I'd want a minimum of two. Until they mature the younger will avoid the older. They are social animals and do much better if they have a buddy while they are avoiding. Having enough room to avoid is very important.

If you can help us know what you have to work with as far as size and how they re tied together we may be able to help you with techniques on how to make it easier or more likely to work.

 

[honkhonkbeep]

Thank you all for your responses! I'm truly sorry about the lack of info and ignorance on my part. I'm a little embarrassed to ask, but I'm truly grateful for these replies. If I came off as doubtful or rude, I apologize! The person who mentioned that 2 were better than 1 didn't have direct experience with chickens, so I just wanted to clarify and understand why before moving on. I trust y'all!

Honestly I was considering a new addition because I heard that roos need a lot of hens, but maybe that's a bridge better crossed when and if it becomes an issue.

As far as my flock goes, they're all about the same age, about 7 months old. I introduced the second hen when everyone was around 4 months, and she's now the head of the group, but the roo and the first hen grew up together. My boy is frisky, but he's pretty gentle and hasn't overwhelmed the girls with his mantics.

I'm still on the fence about adding a new resident, but based on the information here, I think it'd be best to either add 2 or none at all. Then the question is whether or not I have the space, and I'm not sure I'm feeling that.

The walk-in run is 6ft wide x 13 ft long. The coop itself is about 5 x 3 ft, but I'm looking to upgrade either way.

 

[NatJ]

I think it'd be best to either add 2 or none at all. Then the question is whether or not I have the space, and I'm not sure I'm feeling that.

The walk-in run is 6ft wide x 13 ft long. The coop itself is about 5 x 3 ft, but I'm looking to upgrade either way.

I think it would be better to upgrade the coop & run before you try to add more.

Also, if one of your hens goes broody in the future, you might let her hatch some eggs (be prepared to deal with the extra males in that case), or it sometimes works to let a hen sit on fake eggs and then buy chicks for her after she has sat for 3 weeks (you can buy female chicks if you go that route. Some hens will adopt chicks, and some will not, so I can't predict what yours would do.)

With more space, you can also buy chicks and brood them yourself, but do it next to the big chickens so they get used to each other from an early age.

Here are two articles about people who brooded chicks in the coop and integrated them with the older flock when the chicks were still young:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/

 

[Mrs. K]

Adding can be tricky, and truthfully it is no fun at all, if they bully one hen until she is featherless, and full of bite marks and is hiding in the coop. That can happen.

There are tricks to getting around it, hideouts, multiple feeders, pin-less peepers, but SPACE is probably the key issue. Many of the darling prefab house/coup sold in feed stores claim to house 6, and I think that is what everyone was afraid that you had.

But building first, and then adding is good advice. And if you are not having problems yet... might not want to rock the boat.

Mrs K