BR pullet adopted us, looking to get her some company

[lizrndiver]

Hi All,

I posted my long "how I got a chicken" story in the introductions section. Basically I have a 4 month old-ish BR pullet and after 2 months of her living under our deck, we decided to keep her rather than doom her to butchering by the farmer that owns the rest of the flock (this is ok with him). So we built her a coop this weekend. It is an A-frame with a 3' x 4' coop and a 5' x 4' run. The coop part has a perch and 4 nest boxes. I read that I should add at least one more chicken to keep her from being lonely. So my questions are:

Could I add 2 more chickens to this coop?

Since I only have one, do I need to go through all the fancy introduction steps mentioned on the Chickens 101 page or can I just add them in?

I guess from what I have read I should quarantine the new chickens. What would be the best way to house them during the quarantine period? I could put them in the coop and let my current chicken free range 24/7 like she did for awhile (I worry that she could get killed though as we have lots of raccoons in our area).

Any breed suggestions? I'm looking for quiet, friendly layers.

The local Craig's List has some adds for appropriate aged pullets. If I get some from there, what is the best way to transport them home? Could I use an old cat carrier?


Thanks in advance for any advice.

Liz

 

[ace6175]

I heard australorpes are good layers, and the 1 I have is quiet.
A cat carrier seems to work well for transport.
I'm sure others will have more experienced answers for you...

 

[cimarron]

Ameraucanas if you can get some !!! great big green eggs, about 5 or 6 a week. ours seem to be the most peaceful and gentle breed in the mixed flock.

 

[19hhbelgian]

I have australorps, and they are nice, but they will go broody

2 so far this summer and mine are only a little over a year! EE's are great because of the egg color and they come in so many different varieties since they are a mixed breed... I also love my Salmon favorolle. She is one of my most favorite girls. Sammy is also a wonderful layer. Before her run in with a dog, she was laying daily for me! Plus, Salmon Favs are very pretty in my opinion. They have a beard,feathered legs/feet, and are a neat color

Here's a pic of Sammy:

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. A pet carrier is great. I did a lot of research before I got my birds.

Gail Damerow's 'Storey's Guide to Chickens' is an excellent resource, as well as this web site which is an excellent source of information.

These sites are especially helpful in selecting breeds.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/breedQuestions.aspx
Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html

Also here are some other good sites, info and more good links.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/aboutChickens.aspx
https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[Renee]

Hi Liz,
A cat carrier is great.

Three chickens would be ideal.

Quarantine: it depends on how attached you are to your BR and how much risk you are willing to take.

I'd go with the slow introduction. If you watch them carefully, you might be able to speed up the process a bit.

Of course, an indispensable book is Raising Chickens for Dummies!

What part of the country are you in? Some birds do better in warm climes...
but Barred Rocks are nice

)

Renee

 

[chookchick]

If you do not plan to expand the run, I would just get one more chicken (it would be really tight for 3). And since you only have one, kind of odd to do quarantine--I would just skip it and put them together. The new bird is as likely to get sick from old as vice versa. If you get one, they are on equal footing and hopefully will try to get along (but keep an eye on them). Two might gang up on her. Good luck!

 

[moonflowers]

Buff Orpingtons are super sweet and mine are quiet, especially compared to my Barred Rocks.