adding to flock.. chicks vs. started pullets?

[kittykorat]

We curently have six 28 week old hens. Two are laying, the 4 EE's are not.
We have a 4X8 coop and 8X12 run.
I was thinking about getting 2 or 3 more hens.

I know that it can be difficult to add more to the flock.

I'm currently only getting 1-2 eggs a day.. not enough for my family...

I was originally planning to get 3 more chicks next spring and integrate them when they got old enough..
but now I am wondering if getting a couple started pullets might be better?

how difficult is it to add started pullets to a flock?
How do you isolate them? I only have one coop.. so where would I put them?
How bad is the "biosecurity" risk?

 

[easttxchick]

If you don't have an extra space for keeping started hens isolated for 30 days, chicks are really the best way to go. You would really need an extra pen at least 100 feet away from your existing flock(it can be something as simple as a predator proof dog kennel type of thing with a makeshift coop/modified dog house, etc).
To me, biosecurity is a huge issue because one slip-up and your entire flock can be wiped out.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I agree with easttxchick.

Specifically if you 10 or 12 week old started chicks.

If you don't have enough space to quarantine 100 feet away, you can try putting the quarantined birds in an enclosure that is elevated - and that your existing flock can't easily access.

Generally, if i have the options, i usually go with baby chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have a suspicion that with spring coming and the age of your hens that you will soon be getting more eggs real soon with the six pullets. However, you should have plenty of room for a couple more if you really want them. Point of lay pulets will probably be easier than getting chicks. With the chicks, you have to raise them pretty much to full size before you integrate them anyway. I'll give you a link to Buff's article that talks about both quarantine and integration.

Buff Hooligan’s Adding to your flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

Here is my take on what you gain by quarantine. The only way I plan to add outside blood to my flock is to hatch my own eggs, primarily because of biosecurity, so I do take it seriously.

There are a few things you can gain by quarantining a chicken. First, parasites like mites, lice, and worms. If you quarantine them, you can see if the new chickens have these and treat them before you add them to your flock. Or you can treat them when you first get them without having to treat your original flock to make sure you are not introducing anything new. Worms are a little more iffy since there are different treatments for different worms. However, if you do introduce these to your flock, it is porbably not a life threatening event, but it is serious and needs to be handled. Parasites can kill weakened chickens. You need to always be on the look out for them, especially if you add new chickens.

There are diseases in the flock that the chickens are coming from that the chickens have developed an immunity to. Cocci is a great example. Since the chickens have developed an immunity to these diseases, no matter how long you keep them in quarantine, you will not know that these diseases are present until you add them to your flock. For these, there are no benefits to quarantine. And remember, it goes both ways. Your chickens may have parasites or diseases they are immune to that they will pass on to your new chickens.

If the new chickens have recently been exposed to a disease, quarantine can certainly catch it before you add them to your new flock and save you wiping out your existing flock. If the new chickens have been in a flock that has not had any exposure to other chickens for a month more, they have in essence been through a partial quarantine. I say partial because they can always be exposed to a disease during transportation from their old flock to yours. Some diseases are airborne so they just need to come downwind from an infected flock. If new chickens have been added to the flock or chickens have been taken to shows or chicken swaps or somewhere they are exposed to other chickens in the last month or so, or if you think the owner may not recognize a disease or may not have been looking for it, or if the chickens look not well cared for or weak or sickly, or if the owner is dishonest, yes, you are at a risk and quarantine can be a great idea.

Some people bring chickens home from chicken swaps all the time and never have any serious problems. Some people do everything right and have problems. I think the last group has a lot less problems, but what you do depends on your risk tolerance.

Hope this helps a little. Good luck!!!

 

[kittykorat]

So... what about people that show their birds?
Aren't they exposing them to hundreds of other birds?

The person I am thinking about getting a couple pullets from is a local breeder...

 

[easttxchick]

There was a horror story on here a few months ago about a young lady who sent her rooster to a show(can't remember the thread) and I believe approx. 1800 birds ended up sick or dying from being exposed to something at that show.

 

[kittykorat]

Quote:
yikes!
Sounds like I need to ask a bunch of questions...
thanks!

ETA- could two hens be kept in a large dog crate in the basement for quarantine? I know it would be cramped.. but I don't have an extra coop...
I could put it outside and pull the tray out so they have access to the grass during the day...

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
I think this definitely helps, especially if the person will let you come and see their operation and ask lots of questions - like whether any of these birds go to shows....


Quote:
that kind of thing is exactly why you're not likely to ever find ME, let alone my chickens, near a bird show. i just can't trust hundreds of other random bird showers with the health of MY chickens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
I don't show birds so I cannot answer from personal experience. From what I have seen many people that show birds get them vaccinated for specific diseases and some shows require certain inspections and/or vaccination certificates before the chickens are allowed in. I also would not be too surprised to hear that some people quarantine their chickens when they get back from a show. If someone that show chickens sees this thread, hopefully they will speak from experience.

As I said in my other post, some people bring chickens home from chicken swaps and don't have any trouble. There is a risk, but just because there is a risk does not mean that every time, without a doubt, all the chickens will curl up and die. There are risks in everything we do. How you go about it can make those risks increase or decrease. And sometimes the pleasure you get out of it justifies the risks.

 

[TK Poultry]

Quote:
I think this definitely helps, especially if the person will let you come and see their operation and ask lots of questions - like whether any of these birds go to shows....


Quote:
that kind of thing is exactly why you're not likely to ever find ME, let alone my chickens, near a bird show. i just can't trust hundreds of other random bird showers with the health of MY chickens.

But you also have to think that some of the best breeders in the country go to shows all of the time, and if this were true all of the time do you think they would be the best birds? They wouldn't have a flock because they would all be dead.... there are a few people that might take questionable birds but almost all of the time these are people that want to furhter their breed, and expand their knowledge, and want to show off their birds to others with the same type and calliber of bird. I prefer started pullets but you will have to keep them quarentined for at least 4 weeks. That is about 30 days. GOOD LUCK!!