Getting older chickens.

[silkypie]

Hello! I am not sure if this is the right post for this question. My neighbor may be moving and asked if we wanted to take his 5 chickens. 2 of the 5 already come over and visit but never get close to my current flock. The only thing holding me back is that I don't want my chickens to get anything that they chickens might have. What should I do? I would hate for these chickens not to have a good home and I know we could take good care of them. I know I will keep them in a separate coup and all but when can I let them get to know my other flock? Thanks for all the help in advance!!

 

[hinkjc]

I'm sure you'll get lots of advice, but here is a thread on biosecurity and getting new birds. A good read. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12751

 

[threehorses]

I'd agree that quarantining is a must. A 31 day quarantine protects not only your birds, but the new birds as well. That's a fact not many people actually realize.

31 days allows for diseases that have a 21 incubation period, and there are some. After 21 days, you have 5 days to recognize the illness (and sometimes that's tough as poultry tend to mask illness as a survival mechanism) and then a few spare days to get them oriented to the new area.