Help deciding to get adult chickens

[daisychicken]

Ya I was just estimating how many, anyway my chickens are kind of half and half they stay outside of the run and coop but other days they stay inide. ANyway they don't have it up anymore and I also think that I am only going to get baby chickens.

 

[daisychicken]

I meant the listing for the free chickens is no longer available.

 

[hosspak]

The photos of the Craig's list chickens look like nice chickens, and some excellent people will sell on Craigslist. At the same time some will sell on Craigs list to dump their problem chickens.

If you are not able to isolate them for a minimum of 4 weeks, I would be VERY careful of getting new chickens. You are risking a lot - your own pet chickens and all the new ones your are getting. Free is a great price but -- not if your existing flock gets something from the new ones.

Perhaps others will weigh in

... If you decide to get them you will need to establish an isolation pen as far as possible from your existing flock, you should probably bathe and dry them, worm them and spray once they are dry for scaly leg mites and other external parasites. Marek's disease has an incubation period as long as 12-weeks, and when I had one die of Marek's, I kept the other two in that coop isolated from my existing flock for 12-weeks and that is a long time. 4-weeks would be a minimum.

Next after that you would need to integrate the two flocks, you would need to have them see each other, then alternating days free range...then one fine day free range them together...and let them sleep apart for awhile - and eventually integrate the two flocks.

Meanwhile if you have chicks...they will need your time and care....

Do you have a chicken buddy, relative or neighbor that you could interest in getting chickens, and have them take the new ones for you? Just thinking outside the box a little here... I know that you hate to let good chickens pass by. My best two chickens and my worst ever three were all Craigs list purchases.

I have only one thing to say to that...

I think anyone who is thinking of adding more to their flock should read this first...GOOD SAID!