Need guidance on adding to my flock

[amacomber]

I was given three hens from my sister and I would like one or two more. Two black copper marins and one americana. They are around 1.5 years old. I have a chicken run about 12x15, a coop that will house 6 or 7. I plan on free ranging in my backyard which is around 1/4 acre.

I am leaning towards buying chicks and raising them because the three I have are getting older. If I only want 1 or 2 hens how many chicks should I buy? I suppose I would have to worry about getting rid of roosters if they end up being male since I cannot have a rooster where I live. I would appreciate any advice on how to handle this.

 

[Chicka and Co]

If you buy chicks, the best idea would be to try and buy sexed chicks and maybe buy 3 or 4 because during the early stages of their life they can be very prone to sudden death and sickness so you might have to factor in one or two deaths. However, when I bought my first 6 chicks I had no problems at all and all 6 of them lived happily through to adulthood! If all 3 or 4 of your chicks did all happen to live then I still don't believe there would be a problem with an extra one or two as your coop and run sound like they're large enough to handle up to 7 hens.

Although saying this, personally, I think the best idea would be to go out and buy 2 pullets at point of lay. That way you will definitely have females and also the amount you want. Plus, at POL age the risk of disease and infection is significantly reduced unless they are put under a lot of stress.

Hope this helps!

 

[amacomber]

How hard is it to find POL pullets? I see lots of ads for chicks and laying hens.

 

[Mrs. K]

Adding one hen, can be very hard on the one hen, adding two or three would be better. To have an ongoing flock, one should add and cull each year. Keeps the average age of the flock young. I also agree with the above poster, to get point of lay hens. They could be introduced to your current coop.

If you get baby chicks, you will need a separate quarters for them for about 4-5 months.

Mrs K

 

[amacomber]

Ok. In terms of 4-5 month pullets. There are a few craigslist ads in my area selling what I need. Do you recommend buying from a private individual? If so, what should I watch out for?