Introducing single chicken to flock?

[NetBelleAnie]

I recently lost one of my 4 chickens to drowning (she fell in the water bucket and couldn't get out, I have switched to a different watering system), and my city ordinance only allows for 4 chickens. I'd like to add another to my small flock, but I'm unsure if I were to get a pullet or young hen if she'd be bullied by my older girls, or if I should wait till another one passes before getting new chickens. If I can't find a coop-ready pullet, how would I keep a single chick by herself until she is coop-ready and introduce her?
Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Abriana]

It is very, very hard to introduce one chick. I think a grown hen would do nicely, not a pullet. Maybe get one that is a little bigger than the others, and I would say get a Columbian Rock. They love company, are easily tamed, and they are generally on top of the pecking order-which means that she won't get beat up by the others as easily. Make sure to check your source, and quarintine the hen before putting her with the others to make sure there are no sicknesses that will be passed to your existing flock. Put the new hen in a separate cage where they can see each other for about a week and a half to two weeks. Then put her in with the others for supervised visits and if all goes well she can stay with them, but if there is pecking (they are going to peck to establish the pecking order, put they should not be following the hen to peck her, drawing blood, attacking her, etc.) then stick her back in her cage for another week or so. Good luck!

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC @NetBelleAnie ..sorry for your loss.

I'd not add a single chick that needed heat, older chick might be OK.
Adding any birds is best done using extra and separate but adjacent space,
are you set up to do that?

This might help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

So might this:

Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
BYC 'quarantine' search

Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[NetBelleAnie]

Sorry about the late reply. Thank you all for your advice, I was planning on getting a hen anyway, but I figured I should ask about chicks while i had the opportunity.