Adopting a stray chicken???

[nwgirl]

Someone we know has a friend with a stray chicken hanging around in their yard and they don't know who it belongs to, but they want it to go away. They asked me if I was interested in taking it.

I assume this is a full grown hen. I have (4) 13 week old pullets. Would the hen fit in alright with my pullets, or would I have to adopt it a friend of equal size?

Is it true that a vaccinated hen could be a carrier? My chicks were never vaccinated.

How long do you normally quarantine a new hen before introducing it to a flock?

I want to help the poor little chicken, but at the same time I have to think about my flock. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

normally the quarantine time is 30 days

 

[danischi24]

Quarantine it for a month & by the time it's done, your chicks will be old enough to go in with it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Buf's article discusses quarantine and integration better than I ever could.

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

 

[nwgirl]

Excellent. This has been extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing.