Giving up 2 roosters, debating about how to replace with hens

[Ash.M]

I don't suppose you'd be willing to do chicks again? That smaller coop could be used as a chick brooder, and it's far easier to raise them outside alongside your older birds. Though I don't know if the farm you got them from offers sexed chicks... wouldn't want to be in the situation where you end up with 2 more cockerels.

The chicks we got were supposed to be sexed, except the silkie which we knew was a risk. So ending up with 2 cockerels was a really devestating surprise. I don't know if I can bring myself to do chicks again for awhile. After losing the first two and now having to say goodbye to our roos, it just seems like too much of an emotional rollercoaster. I was hoping by getting pullets or hens there would be less of a risk losing this batch. Maybe I just don't have the emotional fortitude to raise chickens .

 

[Mrs. K]

You know, you might just be better to just keep the two hens you have now. If I am reading this right, this your first time with hens. Give yourself a chance to figure it out.

Maybe next year one of your girls will go broody, and you could add chicks at that time. No need to rush this. However, most chickens do not live forever, so you need to enjoy the flock, knowing the birds in the flock change.

MrsK

 

[Ash.M]

You know, you might just be better to just keep the two hens you have now. If I am reading this right, this your first time with hens. Give yourself a chance to figure it out.



Maybe next year one of your girls will go broody, and you could add chicks at that time. No need to rush this. However, most chickens do not live forever, so you need to enjoy the flock, knowing the birds in the flock change.

MrsK

Thanks. We will see what time brings. I really appreciate all of the.

 

[Chickassan]

If you're going to do it by all means do it back to back. You're already going to have drama by removing the boys so why make more by letting the hens get used to no boys and then putting in new girls? Use the confusion to your advantage.

We definitely don't have a ton of space since we are in the suburbs. How much space between the two enclosures would we need for a proper quarantine? If it is a big risk to not quarantine we could put the new chickens in our unfinished basement, but that was a nightmare with the chicks, so I'd only do it if it was worth it.

Is it best to bring in the new chickens asap after we drop the roos off? Or if we wait a week to get our bearings, does it harm our chances of success?