# Beginer backyard chicken owner



## chubby2910 (12 mo ago)

Hey so my dad was gifted a chicken and I decided to give this backyard chicken thing a go but I have many questions. I've done some research as to what types of breeds I should have in my area but now I can't find any chickens for sale that are older 3-6 months old. It seems that I need to buy baby chick's which, for one I'm inexperienced so if someone could give me details on how to take care of them that would be great and second do I need to keep them away from the solo chicken I already have or will she just take care of them. I'm scared as to how I should introduce them but feel as if I need to do it fast because I'm scared she's lonley ;-; I heard chickens can get depressed.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's really the wrong time of year to be looking for chickens of a specific age. Chickens quit laying during the shorter days of Winter. Breeders don't generally hatch eggs during the cold months because they'd have to keep them the house. 

You probably can't even get chicks right now at feed stores or from hatcheries due to the cold. 

If you do a search about "brooders" here on the sight you can learn a ton about how to take care of little peeps. 

And you're right, she is lonely. If you can bite the bullet and just buy an older bird or two off Craigslist or FB. Or ask at the feed store if they know of anyone that might sell you one.


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## chubby2910 (12 mo ago)

Buying baby chick's really isn't an issue here in texas atleast at the places I've been but yeah it's the fact that she would have to remain lonely for like 3 months until the chick's are old enough. I'll take your advice and just buy a few adult chickens for the time being.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Or one. I started thinking about this. If you buy a pair, say, that know each other they will shun her. One would allow them to bond. Then add more later on. 

That's if you're fully addicted by then. It's called chicken math. The numbers grow and grow and grow.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Welcome to the forum! Do what Robin recommends, see if you can buy a single bird locally, ask around and tell folks you need a companion bird.


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## chubby2910 (12 mo ago)

Wait so having only two chickens is fine isn't that still to little? I mean it makes sense as to why I should buy them separately but what if I get multiple birds as long as they come individually. My thoughts behind this are based on the fact that here in the suburbs I'm "legally" only able to have four chickens so if I get two now and buy one or two later wouldn't they get shunned?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You can certainly do that. But before you add more than one make sure your current girl has a good buddy at her side first. Once that's done you can add more. 

Make sure your coop has the room necessary to support X number of birds. Rule of thumb is 4 sq feet of open floor space per large fowl.


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## chubby2910 (12 mo ago)

In the coop it's about 7 sqft per chicken if I have four and I've got plenty of food and bedding plus they'll probably just be out in my back yard most of the day. This is good information to know I was afraid that if I got one at a time they would buddy up and bully the new one(third and fourth chicken).


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Get your girl a buddy. Then when they are friends you can add a couple more. Don't add a single to the two because then you create a problem for the new single. 

This whole chicken hierarchy thing actually takes some thinking and planning. 

Oh, it is possible your girl will hate the newby. See if it's possible to trade if that turns out to be the case. My old Hamburg hen wanted nothing to do with a pullet I picked up to keep her company but she loved the quail I traded the pullet for.


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## chubby2910 (12 mo ago)

Yeah I've got a plan to get her a buddy hopefully they get along and then I'll add two others when I can find them. Another thing you mentioned you traded a hen for a quail, so can I also get quails and leave them with my chickens? I'm restricted to the amount of chickens but there are no laws against quails. I probably won't get any soon but later on if I want to expand it would be nice if I could leave them together.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you let quail out, chances are they'll leave. Luckily by the time I got the quail my Hamburg girl wasn't interested in free ranging anymore.


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## lovely_chooks (Mar 19, 2021)

This happened to me lol.. I just got 2 more adult hens a 2 months older than her but the thing is I only wanted one extra but the owner didn’t want to separate her hens so I got 2..


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