Need Advice - Adding just 1 chicken to a flock?

[PDXchickenmom]

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!)

Thank you for this advice. I appreciate it so much. I was thinking the same thing. Adding one to a "flock" of two seems like it would be doable with some patience. Three was a perfect number for me, so I may try adding just one. I just need to find a hen (or two) now.

 

[KansasChickensDucks]

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.

We have Isa Browns amongst many other breeds and they are sweetest, friendliest, most curious birds we have had. They come right up to us wondering what we are doing. And they are pretty...a mix of ginger and white.

 

[Ariapina]

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!

I took in a chicken from a friend who had her whole flock wiped out by raccoons except for the one. I will be honest- introducing her was tough. I did the crate route where she was in a crate in their run and could see each other for a few weeks. They have since accepted her after a fair amount of scuffling. The issue I find now is that my other 4 are bonded and hang out together. This one girl is a loner and doesn’t really hang around them. It makes me kind of sad but the alternative was her staying where she was & wAiting for a raccoon to come and get her. Everything I read said not to introduce one, but it is possible. You just have to be ready to intervene should the one get injured. With only 2 other chickens, there are less to worry about so as long as you keep an eye out and introduce slowly I think you’d be fine!

 

[OmnipotentOrpington]

Ok, chicken breeds . . .
1. Buff Orpington: My Oribel is the sweetest chicken I have. She's a bit clueless, and only lays about 180 eggs a year, but she is positively WONDERFUL. Ever since we put her outside, she would run up to us to greet us while the other just laze around behind her!
2. Silkies: These birds are SUPER sweet, and if you're not interested in eggs, only pets, they are perfect!
3. Australorp: Philly, my Australorp is beautiful and very kind. She is the best queen of the pecking order that there is!

 

[Mrs. K]

Another trick is not to have it two against one. Set up a second pen, and put ONE of your current birds in that. Let the other one be with the new bird. There may be a dust up, but it is one on one, not two against one.

Just an idea, do the separate but see each other for 3-4 days, then try my idea. Wait a day or two and take down the fence.

Mrs K

 

[PDXchickenmom]

Another trick is not to have it two against one. Set up a second pen, and put ONE of your current birds in that. Let the other one be with the new bird. There may be a dust up, but it is one on one, not two against one.

Just an idea, do the separate but see each other for 3-4 days, then try my idea. Wait a day or two and take down the fence.

Mrs K

This is a good idea and if I end up adding just one, I will definitely try this. Since my Sussex was ill so often, she was frequently quarantined in the house so I could monitor her. One of the EEs would sometimes pick on her when I put her back out in the yard and so I would put her in the coop for the day and let my Sussex and other EE free range in the yard. This always seemed to work. Thanks!

 

[PDXchickenmom]

Ok, chicken breeds . . .
1. Buff Orpington: My Oribel is the sweetest chicken I have. She's a bit clueless, and only lays about 180 eggs a year, but she is positively WONDERFUL. Ever since we put her outside, she would run up to us to greet us while the other just laze around behind her!
2. Silkies: These birds are SUPER sweet, and if you're not interested in eggs, only pets, they are perfect!
3. Australorp: Philly, my Australorp is beautiful and very kind. She is the best queen of the pecking order that there is!

Thank you! I think, at this point, I'll just need to see what is available in my area. I think my neighbor might be selling pullets so if I get enough courage, I may knock on her door to see if she does (she's a new neighbor and we haven't spoken yet). At the very least, she may know of a good place to look.

 

[aart]

We normally add them at night, so in the morning they think it was always there

This makes me think of @bobbi-j 's saying: "chickens aren't the brightest animals on this planet, but they're not that stupid."

Adding to a small flock can work great... or be disastrous.
One of the biggest problems is small flocks usual have small spaces and space is the number one thing to help integrations go smoother.

Lots of ways to integrate, always have a Plan B in case things get ugly.
Here's some tips about......
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.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[PDXchickenmom]

Ok, chicken breeds . . .
1. Buff Orpington: My Oribel is the sweetest chicken I have. She's a bit clueless, and only lays about 180 eggs a year, but she is positively WONDERFUL. Ever since we put her outside, she would run up to us to greet us while the other just laze around behind her!
2. Silkies: These birds are SUPER sweet, and if you're not interested in eggs, only pets, they are perfect!
3. Australorp: Philly, my Australorp is beautiful and very kind. She is the best queen of the pecking order that there is!

In reading about Orpingtons, they sound like a good option for me, but I am worried about how big they are compared to my EEs. My chickens are quite small (4-5 lbs). Will that create problems? I’m also drawn to the Bramhas. Again, I’d worry they might be too big..

 

[NatJ]

A big one certainly takes up more total space in the coop, but other than that size is not much of an issue. What matters more is the temperament of the chickens, and the big ones are often more peaceful than the little ones!

Also, not all Orpingtons and Brahmas are as big as they are "supposed" to be. Ones from hatcheries are often undersized compared to the breed standard, so they may not be as big as you expect.