Looking for a new pullet or young hen

[Coop's Coop]

Hi all,
My son hand raised four chicks, which seems to be the ideal flock size for our backyard. One of his chicks is a cockerel and is going to a beautiful new home in the country where he will be the sole king of the roost this weekend. We ar devastated because he's our favorite but I know he will be happy there. So I'm looking to replace the vacancy. Anyone in SoCal area have a pullet or young hen they would like to rehome or sell? Ideally my son wants another Easter Egger ( same as cockerel we are rehomeing) but we would be open to any relatively quiet, docile breed...speckled Sussex, Orpington, brahma..... Looking for a hen that likes to be loved on. Our remaining flock is 1 Buff Brahma and 2 Splash Silkies. Thanks!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

Sooo many times our favorites turn out to be cockerels! So cool that you found him a home.

I wonder if you might think about waiting until one of you Silkies goes broody and adopt her a chick, preferably two. I adopt sexed chicks from the feed store of whatever breed they have that I like. They often get shipments every two weeks of new breeds. Hopefully your Silkies will be a little less broody than mine! But that would be quite an amazing experience for you son.. I think.

But my original suggestion was going to be consider waiting until next year when your current girls will molt and stop laying eggs for a while.. so the new pullet(s) would still be laying through winter, usually.

My Easter eggers are mix between calm/great and flighty but still good. They are among the most active of the MANY breeds I have had. Like them a lot. Not my version of quiet, but not usually an issue. And REGARDLESS of breed will vary by individual. Couple of my Silkie gals really announce it when they are getting ready to go go lay. They are pretty cute. One of my EE preached hour long sermons at the top of her lungs on the highest pulpit she could find before everyone ignored her and she slipped away to lay her egg without giving her nest away. One of the funniest things ever! Interesting and clever. I've raised well over 100 birds of different breeds and any can be that way. It just depends. One of my Lavender Orpington made this poltergeist sound that the first time my hubby heard thought one of my goats was dying (distant sound) or being attacked by something. Not a peep from her almost twin sister. I think you get the idea, just get what you like and see how it goes, in my experience. Also, Orpington are pretty & calm and hang out close enough, but not my version of lap "friendly". I feel meh about Brahma, think they are heavy eaters and large birds in general. I'm hoping Speckled Sussex will rock since that's what I chose for breeding next year and working to build stock currently! Two ladies that have made pet status and past many, many cuts to the flock are a barred rock and an Easter egger both hatchery stock. Good layers, great personalities, lap friendly with people they know, and good flock members... in addition to being very hardy. But this is MY version, many others will have a different experience.

Another thing I need to mention is that if adding a new bird that has been with another flock... quarantine is suggested for 30 days, far from your other birds. In case something develops that the other person might not have seen yet. That being disease, parasites, or illness.

I will say, in my experience... 3 is actually a really good starting flock... but 5 (as in 3 now and 2 more next year) is even better. Here I go trying to teach you chicken math! Don't follow me. It goes like this... 4 chicks minus 1 cockerel= 14. 14 chickens minus 2 birds to a friend eager to get started... equals ... 12 chickens, 4 chicks, 2 goats, 1 rooster, "some" eggs in the incubator... and a cow on the brain... maybe some quail or ducks..

We don't talk numbers anymore!

Best wishes with your flock.

 

[Coop's Coop]

Hi.

Sooo many times our favorites turn out to be cockerels! So cool that you found him a home.

I wonder if you might think about waiting until one of you Silkies goes broody and adopt her a chick, preferably two. I adopt sexed chicks from the feed store of whatever breed they have that I like. They often get shipments every two weeks of new breeds. Hopefully your Silkies will be a little less broody than mine! But that would be quite an amazing experience for you son.. I think.

But my original suggestion was going to be consider waiting until next year when your current girls will molt and stop laying eggs for a while.. so the new pullet(s) would still be laying through winter, usually.

My Easter eggers are mix between calm/great and flighty but still good. They are among the most active of the MANY breeds I have had. Like them a lot. Not my version of quiet, but not usually an issue. And REGARDLESS of breed will vary by individual. Couple of my Silkie gals really announce it when they are getting ready to go go lay. They are pretty cute. One of my EE preached hour long sermons at the top of her lungs on the highest pulpit she could find before everyone ignored her and she slipped away to lay her egg without giving her nest away. One of the funniest things ever! Interesting and clever. I've raised well over 100 birds of different breeds and any can be that way. It just depends. One of my Lavender Orpington made this poltergeist sound that the first time my hubby heard thought one of my goats was dying (distant sound) or being attacked by something. Not a peep from her almost twin sister. I think you get the idea, just get what you like and see how it goes, in my experience. Also, Orpington are pretty & calm and hang out close enough, but not my version of lap "friendly". I feel meh about Brahma, think they are heavy eaters and large birds in general. I'm hoping Speckled Sussex will rock since that's what I chose for breeding next year and working to build stock currently! Two ladies that have made pet status and past many, many cuts to the flock are a barred rock and an Easter egger both hatchery stock. Good layers, great personalities, lap friendly with people they know, and good flock members... in addition to being very hardy. But this is MY version, many others will have a different experience.

Another thing I need to mention is that if adding a new bird that has been with another flock... quarantine is suggested for 30 days, far from your other birds. In case something develops that the other person might not have seen yet. That being disease, parasites, or illness.

I will say, in my experience... 3 is actually a really good starting flock... but 5 (as in 3 now and 2 more next year) is even better. Here I go trying to teach you chicken math! Don't follow me. It goes like this... 4 chicks minus 1 cockerel= 14. 14 chickens minus 2 birds to a friend eager to get started... equals ... 12 chickens, 4 chicks, 2 goats, 1 rooster, "some" eggs in the incubator... and a cow on the brain... maybe some quail or ducks..

We don't talk numbers anymore!

Best wishes with your flock.

Lol! I love your chicken math! Thanks for all the tips and pointers. We pretty much have year round summer in SoCal...its 85 today! I wonder if we have a true winter in the mind of a chicken? The amount of daylight is different but temps don't change that much. I think my son, who is the head chicken manager here, will want new hens right away and won't want to wait until next year. One of our silkies crowed this morning. So we will be down to just two birds. I was thinking that quarantine was a necessity. Do you think it's still necessary even if I get new hens from a reputable small breeder.? Thanks again!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Lol! I love your chicken math! Thanks for all the tips and pointers. We pretty much have year round summer in SoCal...its 85 today! I wonder if we have a true winter in the mind of a chicken? The amount of daylight is different but temps don't change that much. I think my son, who is the head chicken manager here, will want new hens right away and won't want to wait until next year. One of our silkies crowed this morning. So we will be down to just two birds. I was thinking that quarantine was a necessity. Do you think it's still necessary even if I get new hens from a reputable small breeder.? Thanks again!

Yes.. even from a reputable small breeder, I highly recommend quarantine. Thing is.. even though we do our best to take care of out birds including parasites and such... they are part of the environment, so thing happen and they might not have presented to that reputable breeder yet. I always ask for anyone to report any concern they find. But htat may be after the fact. An NPIP breeder would at least protect you from AI and some of the more important things, but not Mareks, lice, mites, fleas, or whatever.

Yes, I used to live in So Cal... up north on the coast now. I used to love the weather down there too, in the winter! Anyways, I'm on the coast and our temp only varies by 10 degrees between the daytime high and nighttime low. Usually less than that. And seasonally also only changes about 10 degrees. Temperature won't be your molt factor but the light will. Even people who substitute light and refuse to allow time for molt will still get their birds molting eventually. Some chickens course didn't get the memo and choose not to molt or molt at the wrong time anyways. So we can plan all we want, and somehow nature will still have the final say.

I was wondering if you needed help sexing your silkies since I know they very often are straight run. Sorry to hear that your one crowed. How old are they?

If you add some grown ladies, depending on the age of your current birds... you may need to employ a short term look but don't touch strategy to mitigate pecking order issues.

And though quarantine is recommended... doesn't mean you have to follow. Someone with a lot of birds, money and time invested... may have "too much to lose". But if we are talking a couple birds (not emotional value), then maybe it's no big deal. Some people will be super cautious while others will toss new birds in risking it all every time. I've done both. Tossing them in is easiest. Quarantine is smartest. Even with a good quarantine... no guarantee something that is there will show up. It could still be hidden until a weakened immune system falters long down the road.

So I guess what I'm saying is do what feels right for you. I don't need to be a fear monger and since you know the possibilities and what your family can withstand, I'm sure you'll do your best either way.

Hopefully you will be able to get an Easter Egger, they are a lot of fun. Makes me feel like a kid when I get to collect a colorful basket!

 

[Coop's Coop]

Yes.. even from a reputable small breeder, I highly recommend quarantine. Thing is.. even though we do our best to take care of out birds including parasites and such... they are part of the environment, so thing happen and they might not have presented to that reputable breeder yet. I always ask for anyone to report any concern they find. But htat may be after the fact. An NPIP breeder would at least protect you from AI and some of the more important things, but not Mareks, lice, mites, fleas, or whatever.

Yes, I used to live in So Cal... up north on the coast now. I used to love the weather down there too, in the winter! Anyways, I'm on the coast and our temp only varies by 10 degrees between the daytime high and nighttime low. Usually less than that. And seasonally also only changes about 10 degrees. Temperature won't be your molt factor but the light will. Even people who substitute light and refuse to allow time for molt will still get their birds molting eventually. Some chickens course didn't get the memo and choose not to molt or molt at the wrong time anyways. So we can plan all we want, and somehow nature will still have the final say.

I was wondering if you needed help sexing your silkies since I know they very often are straight run. Sorry to hear that your one crowed. How old are they?

If you add some grown ladies, depending on the age of your current birds... you may need to employ a short term look but don't touch strategy to mitigate pecking order issues.

And though quarantine is recommended... doesn't mean you have to follow. Someone with a lot of birds, money and time invested... may have "too much to lose". But if we are talking a couple birds (not emotional value), then maybe it's no big deal. Some people will be super cautious while others will toss new birds in risking it all every time. I've done both. Tossing them in is easiest. Quarantine is smartest. Even with a good quarantine... no guarantee something that is there will show up. It could still be hidden until a weakened immune system falters long down the road.

So I guess what I'm saying is do what feels right for you. I don't need to be a fear monger and since you know the possibilities and what your family can withstand, I'm sure you'll do your best either way.

Hopefully you will be able to get an Easter Egger, they are a lot of fun. Makes me feel like a kid when I get to collect a colorful basket!

Our silkies are 15 weeks and our one remaining buff brahma is 16 weeks. I'm pretty sure one of the silkies is a roo becaus of the crowing today and I think I see some spiky head feathers. His comb is growing and the other silkies comb isn't.

Thanks for he tips. I appreciate it. We will visit a local breeder to see what they have available on our way home from dropping off our EE roo at his new house. Will see what they have. I need to figure out a quarantine spot...in the house I guess? We are in suburbia and have a postage stamp yard and the chickens only use the side yard (10'X 30). Not sure where I would put quarantined hens. What do you mean by look but don't touch strategy? Keeping the new hens near the current ones but within view of each other?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yes, that is what I meant by look but don't touch. Either a see through fence between them or keep the newbies in a kennel thing in middle of the other run. May only take you a couple days. Some toss them in and see what happens and it may go fine. Each situation will be slightly different. So there is no perfect answer, just the one that works for you.

Spikey head feathers can be deceptive... but the comb is very telling. Sounds like your non crower is female!

It's really hard to achieve quarantine on a postage stamp lot. It *may* be completely irrelevant and just good practice to make ourselves feel better in that instance. Not sure I would waste my time or effort. So do what seems best to you. How awesomely sweet that people can have chickens in the city. It really brings a wonderful experience not only to us but to kids who may never have seen a farm animal. Really changes the kids life for the positive I think! I got my first shooks when I live in Bakersfield, and my neighbors were thrilled to see them and even hear them sing. Plus they absolutely adored the occasional fresh eggs I shared. Especially the older folks who remember good farm eggs.

Hope your adventure goes well today! Pics always welcome.

 

[Coop's Coop]

We found a breeder and bought six week olds! One is a blue laced red Wyandotte and the other is a gold laced Wyandotte. He assured us they are female!hope he's right! They are quarantined in the house till at least the end of the month.