Need Advice - Adding just 1 chicken to a flock?

[PDXchickenmom]

Hello - I am (relatively) new to owning chickens. Two years ago, I bought 3 chicks from a local farm store (2 Easter Eggers and 1 Speckled Sussex). Unfortunately, after almost a year of battling egg yolk peritonitis, my sweet Sussex had to be put down. Now, I have just the two Easter Eggers and need some advice. I would really like to have three chickens. It feels weird to have just two. All 3 were incredibly bonded and these chickens are my pets. The eggs are just an added bonus. I rent my home and my landlord will only allow 3 chickens and the city only allows 3 (without a permit).

My question for other chicken owners is if it is impossible to add just one chicken to my small flock? Everything I've heard and read states that it's not good to add a single chicken, but that's really my only option if I want to have 3. If it is possible to get a new chicken, should it be a pullet or should I look for an older hen? Where would I even look for a new chicken? Finding baby chicks is so easy, but what's the best way to find a reputable place for a pullet? This is all new to me and if anyone has any tips or recommendations, I'd appreciate them.

Thank you for your help!

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

I would recommend doing some research to find a person in your area that sells older chickens. Here's a link to find people who might be able to sell a chicken to you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/chickens-8-weeks-older.35/
I would also quarantine the chicken for about a month to check for any diseases or illnesses it might have before adding it to your flock and spreading the illnesses to your other chickens. After that process, I would take the nicest of your two chickens and get her and the new chicken acquainted. Then you can merge the new one with the existing flock.

 

[Luckylarson]

We normally add them at night, so in the morning they think it was always there, but if that doesnt work you could try keeping it in a separate cage where they can still see and hear each other until they get used to it. They will probably still have to establish a pecking order, but after that they should be fine. If these girls are pets, I strongly suggest a silkie. They are super sweet, fluffy, and they don't belong to a pecking order, so she should transition well.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I think I'd still try to add one. I agree with @LittleRaptorLadies with the quarantine, but for a signle chicken that seems like a long time to be alone I've always had new additions in their own pen but within sight of the main flock. Then, as @Luckylarson said, I pop them in the main coop at night while everyone is sleepy. I wake up extra early to open to coop and monitor everyone on that first day. There will be a few scruffles, but they should be fine.

 

[neo71665]

I've added one but it was a rooster to a flock of hens. The head hen had her issues (my only golden laced wyandotte) but the rest took right to him.

 

[PDXchickenmom]

Thank you all for your quick replies to my post. I called the city (to see if I could get a permit for 4 chickens) and they informed me that they are actually voting today to allow residents to own 4 chickens instead of 3 and that I am allowed to go ahead and have 4 chickens. I may get two pullets since it is allowed and it sounds like integration will be much easier than adding just one. I will just need to get my landlord's approval first.

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

Thank you all for your quick replies to my post. I called the city (to see if I could get a permit for 4 chickens) and they informed me that they are actually voting today to allow residents to own 4 chickens instead of 3 and that I am allowed to go ahead and have 4 chickens. I may get two pullets since it is allowed and it sounds like integration will be much easier than adding just one. I will just need to get my landlord's approval first.

Good luck!! You're right-it's much easier integrating two at a time. I hope that they're what you wanted! If you need help choosing breeds, just ask!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Thank you all for your quick replies to my post. I called the city (to see if I could get a permit for 4 chickens) and they informed me that they are actually voting today to allow residents to own 4 chickens instead of 3 and that I am allowed to go ahead and have 4 chickens. I may get two pullets since it is allowed and it sounds like integration will be much easier than adding just one. I will just need to get my landlord's approval first.

Yay that is amazing news!! Good luck with your landlord

 

[NatJ]

Adding just one chicken to two chickens probably wouldn't be too bad.
The real problems usually come when you add one chicken to a large flock, and they ALL pick on the newcomer.

When you do get your new chicken--if it's a young chick, raise it in a pen inside or next to the pen with the existing chickens, so they can get acquainted through the wire.

When the chick is grown up, or if you get a new adult chicken, try moving the existing chickens out of the coop temporarily (maybe into a pen beside it), and putting the new one in the coop. That way the new chicken can explore, get comfortable, find the feed and water, etc. Then a few hours later (or even a few days later) when you put the other ones back, the new one feels comfortable and is able to stand up for herself instead of getting bullied.

They will still have to settle the pecking order, but hopefully you can avoid having a bully and a victim if they are on more equal footing. (And distractions--like a clump of sod or a pile of vegetable peelings or a shovel-full of dirt to scratch through--can help a lot too!)

 

[PDXchickenmom]

Good luck!! You're right-it's much easier integrating two at a time. I hope that they're what you wanted! If you need help choosing breeds, just ask!

Yes, if you have breed recommendations, I will gladly take them. I absolutely love my Easter Eggers. They are not the most beautiful chickens (we call them our dumpster babies), but they are just so sweet and loving. So, I guess if I had to make a decision right now, I'd like to get two more EEs, but maybe I should look into other breeds. My Sussex had health problems almost immediately when she started to lay. I took her to the vet so many times. My only hope for the new hen(s) is that they are healthy and people friendly. I swear, I could hold one of my EEs (Harriet) all day long and she'd be as happy as can be. She is such a sweet snuggle baby. I would want another chicken like that.