Need the truth on adding birds to a flock

[Manok-Tao]

Thank you all for the great info. The birds I had 2 years ago looked pretty odd being debeaked...and I'll have no odd lookers this go around, unless is a natural odd.
I'm sold..no debeaked farm pullets.
Now the search is on to find birds in my part of NC that are hardy, great layers and have full beaks

 

[speckledhen]

If you add birds to an established flock, please be sure to quarantine them for a month, even if they come from the same place. What innoculations were they talking about? Some of those make them carriers for the disease they are vaccinated against, if it was a live vaccine (can't recall which ones those are, though). If you aren't too far from Murphy, I will have some youngsters available sometime this winter or early spring, Barred Rocks and others. I am in GA, but 8/10 of a mile from the NC line.

 

[millie481]

I have tried just throwing the new birds in, they all go crazy

for a little while and then on and off for a few days. After that, everything is back to normal. A more peaceful way would be to put the new ones in the coop at night, when it's calm and quiet. They just wake up in the morning and it's very peaceful. From time to time you might see a new bird get pecked at, but I think that's better than creating a big frnzy!

 

[thegreypony]

Hi, jscnlc -
I'm in Mcleansville on the other side of GSO and we have had great luck in obtaining birds in the Piedmont. the Winston Salem Fanciers association can provide you with the name of breeders/exhibitors/enthusiasts who will likely have some birds that will suit your needs very well, not be debeaked and you will have a history on them. When our originaly flock was decimated by a dog we ended up replacing our birds from a couple of different sources. I would contact John Marshall of J&S Farms - he has a permanent space at the Colfax Farmers Market off Sandy Ridge Rd. We got 4 EEs from him that were molting but otherwise very healthy. they were at the end of their molt and are now laying huge green eggs. He has all sorts of birds - show quality & otherwise. Everything from Ameraucanas to Columbian Wyandottes to....gosh all sorts of stuff. Anyway, if he doesn't have anything to suit you, he can put you in touch with some great folks. He is a member of the ALBC as well so if you are into the Heritage breeds he's a good source. I'm sure you can google or anywho J&S Market to find his number.

As to introducing the new birds...i've introduced our birds by putting the new ones on the roost at night after everyone else has come in to "bed." This way they wake up together in the house and there's less fuss. We've only ever had a minimum of fuss on the yard and it's involved a bossy BR and a very submissive bottom of the pecking order Bantam (her Bantam sister takes up for her though and she's #1 or #2!!). Plenty of feeding stations and lots of places to hide make for better introductions...but sometimes the girls just gotta be haters!!

Best of luck to you and if you need some local contacts for healthy birds with beautiful beaks, PM me.

 

[eventmerlin]

I had the 9 in my sig line and this past fall my friend gave me her 5 hens (Barred rock, 2 rir, and 2 who knows whats). They were all healthy and over a year old. I was pretty new to chickens and didn't know that they fought...well I put the new girls into the coop at night and then let everyone out to freerange the next day. The only hens that had an issue with the newcomers were my 3 little banties. They were P$#@ed!! The 3 of them think they are princesses. Now they pretty much hang out in thier own gangs, but all get along just fine! So I wouldn't worry too much about it if you don't have a rooster. Just keep an eye on them. Definately put them in at night though. If you freerange that is even better, cuz they have something else to concentrate on. Goodluck!