Bringing in new chickens

[MarlaMac]

I have a healthy, disease free flock of 14 hens plus a rooster. All Black Australorps. I desperately want to add blues to my flock.

It is quite the ordeal to find them here in Central Texas. I cannot find either hatching eggs (I have broodies that could hatch them out) or day or chicks.

Nothing.

I did find 3 2 1/2 month old pullets that someone is selling. I don't know the person who is selling them nor the conditions under which the pullets live.

My question is how big of a risk is bring in chickens of this age to integrate with my flock. I would keep them separate for several weeks to allow them to grow a bit and to make sure they have no health issues, but they would have to be kept close to my main coop.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Debbie292d]

Quarantining like you suggest is always recommended. One thing though is with Marek's disease, it's nearly impossible to quarantine them far enough since the dust/dander from infected chickens can travel five miles.

I think it's a given that quarantining is otherwise important to determine if the incoming chickens have AI, a respiratory infection, mites, or anything else abnormal prior to putting them with our current flock. Thus, you'll not want them close to yours if you can prevent it. There's a little more to it though.

This lady explains it well:

 

[MarlaMac]

Yeah, Marek's is my biggest concern. I think I will pass and keep looking for day olds or hatching eggs.

Thanks!

 

[Mrs. K]

If they are close to your coop, that is not quarantine. One cannot cheat at quarantine, and it is nearly impossible in a true back yard flock, to quarantine. If you don't do it properly, you may as well not do it at all.

I

 

[MarlaMac]

If they are close to your coop, that is not quarantine. One cannot cheat at quarantine, and it is nearly impossible in a true back yard flock, to quarantine. If you don't do it properly, you may as well not do it at all.

I

Yep. We are not the typical backyard flock. Our chickens have free access to 60 acres (they stay on around 2 of those acres).

This is exactly why my flock has been closed since we got our rooster 3 years ago. All our growth as been broody hen hatches.

And it is why I am now looking for hatching eggs. My desire is to slowing transition my all black australorp flock to an blue/black australorp flock through attrition. The problem is, I cannot find any hatching eggs and/or day old chicks I can put in with them. Although, I did finally see a shop in Denton area that is expecting blue day olds in June. I will probably just do that. Totally passing on the older girls.

Thanks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Go to the Texas thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" section of this forum and chat with your neighbors. See if any have hatching eggs you could get.

Go to the "Buy-Sell-Trade" section of this forum and post an add for hatching eggs. Include your location and what you want in the title to attract the attention of the people you want to talk to.

Call your county extension officed and chat with them. They may or may not be able to help you.

I cannot find a hatchery in the US that sells Blue Australorp. I agree with your decision to not bring in living chickens from other than a "safe" source, like a major hatchery. I'm OK with a major hatchery. But I have no problems getting hatching eggs. I consider them safe enough.

 

[MarlaMac]

Go to the Texas thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" section of this forum and chat with your neighbors. See if any have hatching eggs you could get.

Go to the "Buy-Sell-Trade" section of this forum and post an add for hatching eggs. Include your location and what you want in the title to attract the attention of the people you want to talk to.

Call your county extension officed and chat with them. They may or may not be able to help you.

I cannot find a hatchery in the US that sells Blue Australorp. I agree with your decision to not bring in living chickens from other than a "safe" source, like a major hatchery. I'm OK with a major hatchery. But I have no problems getting hatching eggs. I consider them safe enough.

Thanks! I have posted in the Texas page, I will also do the buy/sell/trade section.

 

[MarlaMac]

Go to the Texas thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" section of this forum and chat with your neighbors. See if any have hatching eggs you could get.

Go to the "Buy-Sell-Trade" section of this forum and post an add for hatching eggs. Include your location and what you want in the title to attract the attention of the people you want to talk to.

Call your county extension officed and chat with them. They may or may not be able to help you.

I cannot find a hatchery in the US that sells Blue Australorp. I agree with your decision to not bring in living chickens from other than a "safe" source, like a major hatchery. I'm OK with a major hatchery. But I have no problems getting hatching eggs. I consider them safe enough.

Also...Ideal Poultry does sell Blue Australorps, but the waiting list is terribly long - next available are at the end of Oct. I have broodies now, probably will not by then. Everyone else online is sold out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know if Ideal sells hatching eggs. You might ask them. It may be easier than getting chicks.

You don't have to have broody hens if you get live chicks.

Are you in driving distance of Ideal? You might get a better date if you can pick them up. I don't know if they will but it won't hurt to ask.

If you just want to add some Blue to your flock, I'd get a rooster. The way the genetics work some of the chicks will be black and some blue. Adding hens will not do that much to change your flock genetics but a rooster will.

 

[MarlaMac]

I don't know if Ideal sells hatching eggs. You might ask them. It may be easier than getting chicks.

You don't have to have broody hens if you get live chicks.

Are you in driving distance of Ideal? You might get a better date if you can pick them up. I don't know if they will but it won't hurt to ask.

If you just want to add some Blue to your flock, I'd get a rooster. The way the genetics work some of the chicks will be black and some blue. Adding hens will not do that much to change your flock genetics but a rooster will.

That is a good idea about calling Ideal. I am about 2.5 hours from them, so that is doable.

Yeah, I thought I might keep a blue rooster if I get one from hatching eggs. The issue is we already have a black boy. That would be sad just to replace him (he is a pretty good boy) and I don't want to manage two roosters. Our flock free ranges all day and we only have one coop. I thought I could manage the increase in blues by only keeping blue babies and giving away the others. Then when Rooster is needing to be replaced, I can replace him with a blue that I hatch out.