Am I setting myself up for disaster?

[heidibeidi]

So I am BRAND new to having chickens and have tons to learn, but it's so fun! We have three 10 week old chickens that we got from BYC, one buff orphington, one rhode island red and one plymoth barred rock. They get along fabulously and free range in our fenced in back yard all day. They have a 24 square foot coop in the corner of our garage that they are just getting introduced to this weekend. We are having so much fun with them, and as predicted, want another. We live in the city so one more is probably the limit. I found someone selling her extras from a big order from McMurray. If I brought one four week old silver laced Wyandotte would it stand a chance of being accepted by my little flock? It would break my heart if the newbie wasn't accepted . . . .is it possible? How would I introduce them safely??

thanks for the advice!

 

[MareeZoCool]

from Ohio. To begin your introductions, keep the newbie seperated for a few days. I use dog crates as my introduction pen. These metal crates give everyone plenty of views & they can be close without any pecking. With my group, I've had the best luck keeping the new members locked in the crate for a minimum of 3 days. Releasing just before dusk on day 3, so they all have a treat & go to the safety place for the night.BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!

 

[Morgan7782]

One thing I would suggest is for you to get 2-3 of those wyandottes, purely for the sake of unforseen events. Death, cockerel, ect. Plus, then you have the choice of which fit in best and you can rehome the extra's. I always get more then I intend to keep for the sake of company for the chicks, as well as incase I get a rooster or somebody gets sick.

Also, when you get whatever chick you get, you will want to keep them seperated (completely!) from your current flock for 30 days at least. That way you will know nobody is bringing anything into your flock. By the time 4 weeks pass, the new chicks should be ready to introduce to the older girls. You don't want to skip quarantine, believe me. You must keep them far away as possible from your current girls to keep everybody safe for 30 days.

Good luck with your choice! They are addictive aren't they!