Need Opinions On What Would Work Best

[laverne34]

I have a small coop with 4 hens and my husband just built me a new large pen 20'x25'x7' so I can increase my flock. Here are my questions:

1. Should I put the new chickens in the new pen and then introduce my old hens to them in the new environment?
or the other way around?

2.What breeds would be best for all getting along? The hens I have are 3 yrs old..1-maran, 1-white leghorn, 2-amerucana

3.Would guineas work with a flock of chickens?

4. How many hens would you recommend in a pen this size?

5.My local feed store has 3 month olds in a number of varieties....how long would I need to quaranteen these?

Thanks!

 

[Chicken0Boy]

1.?
2.?
3.?
4. If you have 4 hens now..and with a 20x25x7 pen you could get 121 more chickens

including your 4 hens! I'm so jealous!

5. I started a thread about that, and I was told 3+ months is good, but you need to let them see each other for awhile before they can come in contact!

Hope I helped a little.

 

[Mahonri]

First, how big is your coop? Will it fit everyone at night?

1. Most folks like to put the newbies on the other side of the fence for a week so that they are used to seeing each other.
Then they put the newbies on the roosts at night. There will inevitably be squabbles and fights and pecking order established in the morning, but it won't be as bad as if they were introduced during the middle of the day.

2. Marans, leghorns, orpingtons and rocks will do well. My ameraucanas like to fight.

3. No clue with guineas. I know that some folks mix them.

4. Depends upon the size of the coop. 4 Sq feet per bird.

5. I don't add younger chickens to older ones until they are at least 14 to 16 weeks old. Always quarantine any new bird away from your current flock for 21 to 30 days, to insure they are healthy and won't pass anything on.

 

[onecent]

Hi Mahonri gave you great advice, as far as mixing guineas & chickens , i did when they were chicks & keets, and they grew up together fine, but i didnt have good results when I tryed to mix older guineas & older chickens together, they fought like cats & dogs!!....or should i say "guineas & chickens"

 

[peacockfarmer1]

1. id do it whenever they don't fight as much as people say and i raise game chickens those hens hardly fight so don't worry
2. any big chickens like dual purpose breeds
3.I have a pair of guineas with a dual purpose rooster and hen and they don't mess with each other ( i used to didn't have the female guinea and the male would chase the big hens i had but now that im down to just one big hen they dont mess with .it
4.u could put 15-about 20 in there easy
5.I have never kept babies away from older birds especially at three months now them older ones are going to let the little ones know whose boss but they'll get used to each other( right now i have 2 month chicks with mature game hens and a game rooster and actually the really get along

 

[darkmatter]

I have a small coop with 4 hens and my husband just built me a new large pen 20'x25'x7' so I can increase my flock. Here are my questions:

1. Should I put the new chickens in the new pen and then introduce my old hens to them in the new environment?
or the other way around?
Put them together with a temporary fence to keep them apart for a week till they're used to seeing each other

2.What breeds would be best for all getting along? The hens I have are 3 yrs old..1-maran, 1-white leghorn, 2-amerucana
depends, try it and see

3.Would guineas work with a flock of chickens?
Yes, but I had to raise them together as keets and chicks to get the guineas to roost with the chickens in the Coop and not fight.


4. How many hens would you recommend in a pen this size?
An easy dozen or more, depends on temperment and breed, the more space to roam, the smaller the Coop they can tolerate.

5.My local feed store has 3 month olds in a number of varieties....how long would I need to quaranteen these?
Shouldn't have too, if they're from a hatchery.