Adding new chickens to existing flock!!

[werttyy]

I've heard that there are many diseases that can come from adding new birds to an existing flock. I started with 5 chicks because that was how many I wanted but then I lost 2 and now I want to get 2 or 3 more hens. Also, are there complications with adding new chickens, like will my flock not accept them? Or will something else happen? I thought read something about this but I couldn't find the answer. Sorry if this question is phrased awkwardly. Please help me answer this. I truly want more chickens but I don't know if they would get along or cause diseases. Thanks!

 

[werttyy]

Anyone?

 

[Chicken Boo]

There are many threads about new members of the flock. I have learned that:

1) At least a 30 day isolation period is required to make sure you do not introduce a disease.

2) AFTER the quarantine, move the new chickens to a place where they can see each other but NOT get to each other (a temporary pen next to the coop) so they can get some of the pecking order stuff out of the way. A few hours for a couple of days should work.

3) Do not put chickens of dramatically different ages together until the little ones are big enough to take a bit of the pecking order stuff from the older bird. In other words, they are near the same size.

4) Make sure they have plenty of room to get out of each other's way to lessen the pecking order stuff.

5) There WILL be pecking order stuff.


That is what I remember off the top of my head. Time for me to go back to the gardening.

Good Luck!!

 

[Chicky Chick Mama]

That's a great list to go by, Chicken Boo! Wish I'd had that a few weeks ago. Don't take for granted the quarantine for 30 days...we didn't quarantine our new sex-links and I ended up having to put my entire flock on duramycin. No eggs for 5 weeks because of my mistake.

Got them at the flea market from a man who assured me that his flock was all healthy.