I've been reading a bunch of posts here on the forum and now I've scared myself. I'm a new chicken owner with four 2 month old Rhode Island Reds. We built a lovely chicken house that should hold up to 20 chickens and my boys would each like to get their own chicken of a different breed. One wants a Barred Rock and the other wants a "white chicken".
I've read that you can bring in a lot of diseases if you get local chickens. I'm prepared to quarantine for a month but the whole Marek's thing with local breeders is frightening. How do you screen for that? I can't really afford 25 birds from a hatchery. I don't have anywhere set up to grow 25 new chicks up for the 5 months it would take before I can put them in with the older group. And that would give me 29 birds which is way more than I want. Also the boys think they might like to show and I've read that the hatchery birds are not suitable?
Any suggestions?
I've read that you can bring in a lot of diseases if you get local chickens. I'm prepared to quarantine for a month but the whole Marek's thing with local breeders is frightening. How do you screen for that? I can't really afford 25 birds from a hatchery. I don't have anywhere set up to grow 25 new chicks up for the 5 months it would take before I can put them in with the older group. And that would give me 29 birds which is way more than I want. Also the boys think they might like to show and I've read that the hatchery birds are not suitable?
Any suggestions?
