When do you start adding to your flock- contingency plan

[CabritaChicks]

Just spit ballin, I’ve got a rooster who was born on Easter and let’s just say… spring fever hit hard. He’s humping everything in sight (consensually, no aggression, everyone seems into it ). The flock’s a mix of Marans/Leghorn (rooster), Easter egger/leghorn and RIR and new hampshire red, and they’re all spoiled rotten, full-on pet status. Hubby jokes that he wants to be reincarnated as one of my birds-

Anyway, it got me thinking about my chicken journey. First came chicks, then I hatched eggs, built a dreamy little coop… you know how it goes. So my small by mighty flock of 7 rule the roost. While my husband was out of town recently, he overheard some guys at a bar talking chickens (yep, this is relevant, I promise). They said that after two years, they hatch some eggs and “phase out” their adult hens. (I had questions then about inbreeding- but I digress)

That got me thinking. I know a hen’s laying slows around 4-5 years, give or take depending on breed, diet, and care. So phasing them out at 2 seems kind of early? Or is that common for folks who raise more utility-style flocks?

So here’s my real question: When do you start adding to your flock, and why?
Do you hatch eggs every year just to maintain a certain age balance?
If you keep your flock small and your chickens are more like pets, do you just wait until something happens (illness, predator, etc.) and then add a new bird? Because adding just one or two means handling that whole “bully the new kid” problem as I definitely would raise them as pets again and watch tv with them- like my other chicks.

Just trying to get a better sense of what others do, especially those who keep it small but want some kind of long-term plan. Is there some sort of chicken math plan?
Thanks in advance!

 

[SkyAJK]

If you want chickens mainly for eggs, then you would need a specific reliable layers and succession to continue supply you with eggs.

Not all chickens lay eggs reliably to 4-5 years of age. I have 13 chickens of various breeds and only 2 are laying eggs, 2 a day is more than we consume.

My chicken math is to have more chickens and i am chicken addict so it does not matter egg or no egg.

 

[FrostRanger]

Most hens do start slowing down at around 2, some stop entirely by this point (although this isn't typical). Even if you don't plan on culling your old birds, adding a few young pullets every 2-3 years or so will make sure that you still have birds laying even if some have slowed down or stopped by this point

As for me, my flock is still young (only 1), I plan on waiting until they're 3 or 4 to add more birds. It really comes down to your needs and preferences when you add birds

 

[Mother of Chaos]

My plan, because we are limited to 7 chickens (7 animals, really, but hey): three pullets in year one, two in year two, two in year three. Never aim for exactly six, because then you would have to add a singleton.

My implementation: three in year one, two in year two in month four... This plan isn't going well! I don't plan to cull for non-laying, but I'm realistic enough to expect early death(s).

I'm glad you started this thread! This is (or should be) a real issue for city-dwellers and those otherwise limited by space constraints to a fixed and small flock size. We don't have chickens primarily for eggs, but it's nice to have a little rental income stream in this form.