Two chickens enough?

[black_cat]

That's true. But we had no experience with our chickens, and our rooster is not difficult to deal with at all! However, you are right about it being illegal in some places. But if you do end up getting more hens and don't want them killed by pretadors, or want baby chicks, I would recommend a roo.

A rooster may help warn the flock of danger, but that isn't helpful if they're in a confined run. You must have gotten lucky, because most cockerels manifest into human aggressive, hen aggressive, or both roosters.

 

[catballou]

A rooster may help warn the flock of danger, but that isn't helpful if they're in a confined run. You must have gotten lucky, because most cockerels manifest into human aggressive, hen aggressive, or both roosters.

I have two hens usually. They get along wonderfully. Then I had one die this winter and my lone hen needed a buddy quickly! I bought two because no one would sell just one. Well, one of those died from I don't know what and now I'm back to two outside.
Because I don't want that to happen again, I bought two 3 week old chicks a week ago.
But, I should have bought three from TSC because one of these is a rooster I am quite sure.
I don't have enough hens for a rooster!

 

[black_cat]

I have two hens usually. They get along wonderfully. Then I had one die this winter and my lone hen needed a buddy quickly! I bought two because no one would sell just one. Well, one of those died from I don't know what and now I'm back to two outside.
Because I don't want that to happen again, I bought two 3 week old chicks a week ago.
But, I should have bought three from TSC because one of these is a rooster I am quite sure.
I don't have enough hens for a rooster!

In my opinion, when you purchase chicks from TSC, 'sexed' is still straight run. I'd get some chicks from a reputable hatchery, like Cackle (having a three chick special for select breeds) or MyPetChicken.

 

[catballou]

In my opinion, when you purchase chicks from TSC, 'sexed' is still straight run. I'd get some chicks from a reputable hatchery, like Cackle (having a three chick special for select breeds) or MyPetChicken.

Probably true. It's always a gamble! I may end up buying a couple of hens from someone that takes good care of them after these two grow up more.
Older hens are fine with me. I don't need lots of eggs!

 

[black_cat]

Probably true. It's always a gamble! I may end up buying a couple of hens from someone that takes good care of them after these two grow up more.
Older hens are fine with me. I don't need lots of eggs!

How old are the current two? (sorry if I missed it)

 

[catballou]

How old are the current two? (sorry if I missed it)

They're almost a month old. They were supposed to be gold laced wyandottes but the don't look like it.

 

[catballou]

They're almost a month old. They were supposed to be gold laced wyandottes but the don't look like it.View attachment 2563442

 

[catballou]

How old are the current two? (sorry if I missed it)

They're almost a month old. They were supposed to be gold laced wyandottes but the don't look like it.View attachment 2563442

Or did you mean the hens? One is supposed to be a year old, one is six.

 

[chillismom]

A rooster may help warn the flock of danger, but that isn't helpful if they're in a confined run. You must have gotten lucky, because most cockerels manifest into human aggressive, hen aggressive, or both roosters.

Thanks so much for the advice both of you, but yeah my house is situated so that I can’t really have a rooster even if I had a bigger flock. The yards are long so plenty of space but also not wide so the neighbors are close as hell and they already seem to dislike us for some reason, the crowing might put them over the edge

 

[chillismom]

I see the introduction of two pullet chicks as a positive, this can be achieved with sex-linked chicks to avoid unwanted cockerels (and the heartbreak you'd experience if you had to give him up or send him to freezer camp.)
If you ensure that you put the chicks in a wire cage in the coop so that the elder girls can see and hear these birds day in, day out, then incorporating them into a single flock when the chicks are about six weeks of age will go MUCH easier.
Dealing with more than one type of feed for one flock is nearly impossible. My recommendation is to switch your girls to non-medicated chick feed by adding some to your remaining supply of whatever brand of food they're enjoying now, with an eye towards having this old feed used up completely by the time your chicks are six weeks of age and incorporated into the flock. Put a calcium supplement beside their feeder. oyster shell or ground egg shell from your feed store will be sufficient. Your big girls will eat what they need of the calcium supplementation and later on the chicks might nibble a little, but will avoid overdosing themselves on it. Corid (amprolium) in everybody's water the first week that the chicks are on the ground (or in the grass), to bolster their immunity to cocci.

These are great tips, thank you! When I got my first three, everyone else I know with chickens said “just make sure you clean their water and food containers to avoid cocci” and nothing else. Will definitely be buying corid. I always think I’m so lucky the worst health problem I’ve had so far is one of them getting worms from eating too many earthworms in the garden.