Best way to add to the flock

[Ccort]

Hi!
I'm interested in adding 2-3 gals to my flock. The girls I currently have...well, four were ordered online and mailed to me and two were adopted by me as adults.

All my current flock are about two years old.

What is the best, in your opinion, way to add a couple more when age isn't a concern.

Thoughts on Tractors Supply? My concern is that they don't vaccinate them for Marek's.

I know I could end up with a roo or two.

My primary concern is that I get healthy birds who won't give anything to my current flock.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Best way to reduce biosecurity issues is to either hatch eggs (and yes you will get roos) or buy newly hatched/nearly newly hatched chicks from reputable hatcheries or breeders.

Do you have any local mom & pop feed stores? All of our local stores order Marek's vaccinated chicks, and some may be willing to take special orders (though it might be too late in the season) to add to their order if there's specific breeds you're looking for.

 

[Ccort]

Best way to reduce biosecurity issues is to either hatch eggs (and yes you will get roos) or buy newly hatched/nearly newly hatched chicks from reputable hatcheries or breeders.

Do you have any local mom & pop feed stores? All of our local stores order Marek's vaccinated chicks, and some may be willing to take special orders (though it might be too late in the season) to add to their order if there's specific breeds you're looking for.

How do you recommend getting eggs to hatch?
I don't have any mom and pop feed stores near me. I only have Tractors Supply and a rural king...each about 30 minutes from here. My understanding is that TS doesn't vaccinate and the Rural King has terrible reviews when it comes to chicks.
I would like to add bantams but am not looking for specific bantam breeds.

 

[Evadig]

How do you recommend getting eggs to hatch?
I don't have any mom and pop feed stores near me. I only have Tractors Supply and a rural king...each about 30 minutes from here. My understanding is that TS doesn't vaccinate and the Rural King has terrible reviews when it comes to chicks.
I would like to add bantams but am not looking for specific bantam breeds.

You can order fertilized eggs from different hatcheries or even some BCYers in the Buy/Sell/Trade forums .

 

[Ridgerunner]

My understanding is that you want two bantam pullets. Breed does not matter. Of course you know that if you hatch eggs you have no idea how many will be male and how many will be female. You will need a plan to manage that.

How do you recommend getting eggs to hatch?

Find your State thread in the "Where am I? Where are you" section of this forum and chat with your neighbors.

Put an advertisement in the "Buy - Sell - Trade" section of this forum. In your thread title tell what you want and your location to attract the attention of people you want to see it.

Chat with people at your feed store. Somebody there may know someone that can help. Many have a bulletin board where you can post a notice.

Put an ad on Craigslist or check through their offerings.

Call your county extension office and chat with them. Someone there might know someone that has chickens.

For any of the above you can look for hatching eggs or maybe two pullets. Or look for someone that wants to order chicks and is willing to split an order with you so you can get around the minimum order problem.

I don't have any mom and pop feed stores near me. I only have Tractors Supply and a rural king...each about 30 minutes from here. My understanding is that TS doesn't vaccinate and the Rural King has terrible reviews when it comes to chicks.

Each Tractor Supply and Rural King has its own manager and people working there. Some are more knowledgeable or helpful than others. The only people that know what their policy is about ordering chicks for clients like you is the manager of that specific store. Talk to them. They may be willing to help, they may not. The feed stores do not vaccinate themselves but they may be willing to order vaccinate chicks from the hatchery they get the chicks from. My local TS will not but I've seen posts on here where other local TS would.

I don't know what the reviews are for your local Rural King. They may accurately reflect the conditions at that specific store or they may tell you more about the person doing the review.

Your problem may be more that many feed stores have a policy of a minimum number of chicks. TS national policy is supposedly a minimum of 6 chicks per purchase. Some TS managers will violate that policy but many will not.

 

[SueT]

What breed(s) are your current hens? Have any ever gone broody? If one of your own flock hatches the chicks, then mama will take care of integrating them into the flock. Otherwise, integrating newcomers can be a challenge, know that your hens are not going to welcome them. You have to let them meet each other in a see-no-touch arrangement, and live side by side for a while.
If you need to buy chicks, I recommend buying them locally so they don't have to go thru the mail, and I would get them at Tractor Supply if that's the closest source. I have never had vaccinated chicks, but if that's your requirement, then why not order from wherever you did before.

 

[Mrs. K]

Call Tractor supply and see when they get new chicks, be there when they come in. The store will barely handle them. Do not take anything you feel sorry for.

If you have full size chickens now, adding bantams can be problematic. Some people get it to work, and others struggle on it.

I have great success with adding a lot of clutter, and safety zones through out the run, and then adding the chicks at 3-4 weeks. At that size they are not seen as strangers, or competitors for food, and are as fast as lightening, so they can escape from the big birds if needed. When I do this, mine are eating at the feet of layers in a week.

I would suggest adding 3-4. Gives more body heat, more distraction and more company. You might loose an older bird in the next year, or you might lose a chick, that just fails to thrive.

Mrs K