Help! Are these pullets or roos? I think they are EE's.

[Debnboyd]

I think I'll take your advice and just keep our little group little and add more later. Makes sense. Thanks!

 

[SandyNest]

....If you are allowed more than 4, you may want to wait to add-in a new one because if you want to add more later, it is easier to raise and integrate a pair into the established flock.

Not sure where you were planning to get your other chicken from, but my rule is not to bring birds in from other farms for biosecurity reasons. There are diseases that can be brought in from other flocks, so if you do bring in another bird then you will be wanting to separate them from your girls so you don't unknowingly spread disease in to your flock. I would personally go out a month.

I would agree with this! We had a similar situation as you a few years back and promised our daughter we would get some more chickens to replace a couple that had died. It was fall, so we ended up at a nearby auction (due to my daughter being very car-sick, we did not want to drive far to see birds). However, I wish we hadn't have done that, a couple of the birds brought in a virus and even though we waited about 3 weeks, it had just started to show up and we didn't figure it out until it was too late. We didn't lose any birds, but it was a bugger of a time taking care of sick birds in the cold weather. I would agree with a 4 week quarantine, as well as, waiting until spring to get new birds. I would also prefer to always start with chicks again and not older pullets, due to that experience.

 

[Panth]

yes....I would wait, at the very least until next spring, and then get a few more very young chicks. There is a lot less chance of getting a disease into your flock this way and it gives you all winter to drool over which chicks you want to get!!

 

[Debnboyd]

Thanks everyone!!!