Only 2 in my flock

[Dixiemix]

I started with 3 chicks, sadly one passed at a week old. Seems to just have been failure to thrive. Now I have 2 almost 3 weeks old. We want to add another. Would there be any problems adding a hatchling in with them? They will probably be about a month old when I’m able to get another. Thank you for the advice.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Four weeks apart will be too much, depending on the space available, and temperaments of all individuals. This is the problem with few chick numbers, it's easy to have too few if only one dies. How about adding two or three instead?
Mary

 

[Dixiemix]

Welcome!
Four weeks apart will be too much, depending on the space available, and temperaments of all individuals. This is the problem with few chick numbers, it's easy to have too few if only one dies. How about adding two or three instead?
Mary

In my neighborhood I can only have 3. If I can find a local bird this weekend do you think they would be ok together? Thank you for the advice!

 

[NatJ]

Now I have 2 almost 3 weeks old. We want to add another. Would there be any problems adding a hatchling in with them? They will probably be about a month old when I’m able to get another.

You could arrange a divided pen, so the bigger chicks are not able to step on the little one, but they can all see and interact through a piece of hardware cloth. When the youngest one is a few weeks old, it will probably be fine to let them be together.

 

[Folly's place]

Right, they might be great together, but one introduced to two is harder, always. And the youngest will need more heat than the older chicks.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ideally you'd want to find a chick very soon that's close in age to your current ones - in that case they probably can be put together with little issue (though I'd supervise at first just to make sure they're all ok with each other).

 

[Dixiemix]

Ideally you'd want to find a chick very soon that's close in age to your current ones - in that case they probably can be put together with little issue (though I'd supervise at first just to make sure they're all ok with each other).

In my anxiety I made them a week older then they are. They were hatched 5/23. I was going to look for another today, but would it be better to wait to add an older one when mine are older?

 

[Folly's place]

Often the feed stores will have chicks that are two or even three weeks old, so find one that's closer in age to yours, and of a breed that you want. Bantams would be too small unless that's who you already have.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

In my anxiety I made them a week older then they are. They were hatched 5/23. I was going to look for another today, but would it be better to wait to add an older one when mine are older?

Assuming you can find chicks close in age and size to yours (within 2 weeks or so? they all grow at different rates) then sooner would be better. As they get older the pecking order will start kicking in and make it more difficult to integrate in new birds.