New cockerel...integration questions!

[Mahlzeit]

I would leave them in the coop and run for a week with the girls before you let them out to free range. It's better to let them establish themselves with the flock before letting them out to free range. If they are still being chased around by the hens they may run off and get lost. Or not know where to roost yet and sleep in the tree's.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would rather my teen age rooster get a little thumping from some older hens. I think it makes for a nicer rooster in the long run. I would put the rooster in that you are going to keep. I would get the other roo to your mothers asap. It does upset flocks to add and subtract, best just do it and get it over with.

As for making the transition go smoother, make sure that there are roosts in the run, platforms, or pallets on cement blocks in the Run! Out of sight, helps chickens get along.

As for the quarantine, you have already not done it, so no need to worry about it. Many people on here pretend to quarantine, but unless your hens have never seen the new birds, been kept from breathing the same air, the quarantine is over. Personally, I consider two things, the financial cost of my flock, which with a dozen birds is minimal, and the expense of doing a quarantine correctly. If you have more than say 25 birds, your egg money is important part of your income, or the death of a bird puts you into a deep depression, then DO NOT ADD new birds or quarantine correctly with more than 300 feet separating the birds, change of clothes and shoes between choring for each set of birds. One also needs different feed bins, and different scoops, and different water buckets..... otherwise you are just pretending to quarantine.

I have added birds to my flock, but always from a place where I have seen the set up, and while a healthy appearing bird can get sick and pass things on to your flock, most generally if they look healthy they are healthy, BUT YOU CAN GET it wrong fast.

Mrs K

 

[MontanaDolphin]

I would rather my teen age rooster get a little thumping from some older hens. I think it makes for a nicer rooster in the long run. I would put the rooster in that you are going to keep. I would get the other roo to your mothers asap. It does upset flocks to add and subtract, best just do it and get it over with.

No can do. My mom lives with me. She doesn't even have her own coop. So whichever roo is NOT going in with the girls will have to be housed in a separate pen until I convert my goat shed into my second coop. That won't happen for a few weeks...gotta have the money to put shingles on the new goat shed.

As for making the transition go smoother, make sure that there are roosts in the run, platforms, or pallets on cement blocks in the Run! Out of sight, helps chickens get along.

There are two roosts in the run.

As for the quarantine, you have already not done it, so no need to worry about it. Many people on here pretend to quarantine, but unless your hens have never seen the new birds, been kept from breathing the same air, the quarantine is over. Personally, I consider two things, the financial cost of my flock, which with a dozen birds is minimal, and the expense of doing a quarantine correctly. If you have more than say 25 birds, your egg money is important part of your income, or the death of a bird puts you into a deep depression, then DO NOT ADD new birds or quarantine correctly with more than 300 feet separating the birds, change of clothes and shoes between choring for each set of birds. One also needs different feed bins, and different scoops, and different water buckets..... otherwise you are just pretending to quarantine.

I know because I don't quarantine as recommended will probably label me as irresponsible, but I do not have the time to quarantine...especially the right way. I only have 8 girls, and now these 2 new cockerels, so I do not have a ton of money invested in them. And, I figure, if I made a huge mistake by not quarantining them, I will have learned my lesson. I have tons of fertile eggs I can hatch if something happens to my flock...and I'll know never to NOT quarantine again.

I have added birds to my flock, but always from a place where I have seen the set up, and while a healthy appearing bird can get sick and pass things on to your flock, most generally if they look healthy they are healthy, BUT YOU CAN GET it wrong fast.

Thank you very much for your reply!!


Mrs K

 

[BigECarter]

I came across this thread while researching adding a new rooster/cockerel to an existing flock. I have Marek's in my flock - no quarantine as it came with the 9 pullets/roo that I bought. Marek's is a virus and, from what I understand, is very difficult to kill or eradicate. I get the impression that culling the flock and bringing in new birds would not solve the problem since the virus can live in the soil for years.

I am resigned to living with Marek's in my flock, rather than giving up or trying to eradicate it.

E