Ordering Spring Chicks…Have Questions!

[BlueDawnRising]

So, I wanted 3 chickens and ended up with 19 (you all understand this, right?!). They are now 9 and 11 months old and laying well. They are a mixed flock from Hoovers Hatchery with Welsummers, Easter Eggers, Crested Cream Legbars, Buff and Lavender Orpingtons and 2 that I don’t know the breed. I currently have no roosters. This is my first go with chickens and so far I am loving it!

I found a hatchery 2 hours from me that I can pick up from, so whatever I add, won’t have to be shipped. They have pure lines, something I learned Hoover’s doesn’t really have, and I am excited to order for spring. I am considering ordering 55 Flowery and Welsummers as day old chicks. They offer them sexed. I am also wanting to add some Marans and Olive Eggers which they only offer straight run as day old chicks, understandably. I can order started pullets of these though, which brings me to my questions:

1.) I can order day olds, pick them up and then order started pullets of the same age, picking them up weeks later, ensuring I get pullets. If I do this, can they be put together when I bring the pullets home or do they need to be separated?

2.) I would like to try to put the day olds under a broody. How do you make sure you have a proper broody at the exact time you bring home your chicks? My Buffs seem to be broody often, sometimes difficult to break, so I feel like it might work. I have a brooder as a back up if it doesn’t work. Also, will it make it harder to integrate the started pullets when I bring them in, weeks later?

3.) Do I quarantine day olds? I would separate the broody into her own space but it would still be in the coop, not completely separate from my existing flock. If so, I realize they would have to go in the brooder instead.

4.) I assume I have to quarantine the started pullets, even though they are coming from a hatchery, right?

I am thinking to order for pick up in April for the day olds. The pullets would be the same age, just remain at the hatchery for 5ish weeks. I would appreciate thoughts/advice/cautions on any of the above! Thank you for reading!

 

[Folly's place]

You are planning to order 55 chicks, including the straight run breeds? That's a lot of chicks!
Getting straight run chicks works very well here, and having all of these birds together, same age, will be easier. Extra cockerels can go into the freezer, or to a local auction, or craigslist, and you might find a cockerel or two that you decide to keep. Who knows?
If you have your chicks vaccinated against Marek's disease, they need to be totally isolated from your flock for two weeks or a bit longer, to develop immunity before being out there. If your chicks aren't vaccinated for this disease, they can be out in their separate brooder area with their brooder plates right away.
Timing a broody hen to a chick shipment would be wonderful, maybe, but don't get your hopes up!
And broody hens can be wonderful, or not, and having first time broody hens means you don't know how that individual will really behave, maybe well, maybe not.
Mary

 

[redinator]

https://greenfirefarms.com/55_flowery_hen.html They're a breed of chicken

 

[redinator]

Quarantine any chickens older than a week, personal opinion, others will likely disagree. Any chicks/chickens that didn't arrive together will need to be integrated separately.

If you have chicks that are 4 weeks or under they could possibly be put with the day olds once they reach 2 weeks, but the younger chicks could get bullied, so keep a close eye on things.

I would hold off on trying to do it all at once. It can get pretty overwhelming really quick if things don't go smoothly. Especially if some of the new birds end up sick or injured.

As @Folly's place said 1st time broodies are a gamble. They may sit and hatch the eggs, but end up being terrible mothers. Some may dance all over the eggs and break them, or quit sitting mid incubation.

Good luck!

 

[ClickityChick123]

If you put the chicks under a hen, she might not except them and they might just get picked on by everyone (happened to me once when mama did hatch the chicks). If you did that, they should probably be monitored closely.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Let's discuss a few things. First, quarantine.

I consider chicks shipped straight from a hatchery to be as safe from disease and parasites as you can get. The hatchery portion is separated from any place chickens live and they take biosecurity issues to heart so the chicks should be very safe. I do not worry about quarantine with these chicks.

However your 5-week-olds will face the risk of contracting a disease or parasite while being raised. I would expect the hatchery to take biosecurity issues seriously but the risk for a parasite or disease is present. I'd want to quarantine them.

Then you have integration. Chicks raised together generally get along. But sometimes chickens not used to each other do not accept each other. Often, if you have a lot of room, you can put strange chickens together without issues, but not always. I'd be prepared to separate them if necessary.

1.) I can order day olds, pick them up and then order started pullets of the same age, picking them up weeks later, ensuring I get pullets. If I do this, can they be put together when I bring the pullets home or do they need to be separated?

They will be the same age. It is possible you could put them together without any issues or they may brutalize each other. How do you feel about quarantine?

2.) I would like to try to put the day olds under a broody. How do you make sure you have a proper broody at the exact time you bring home your chicks? My Buffs seem to be broody often, sometimes difficult to break, so I feel like it might work. I have a brooder as a back up if it doesn’t work.

How many chicks? Can the broody hen cover them all, especially when they are a few weeks old? In warmer weather that may not be that necessary, often my chicks sleep next to the broody instead of under her in summer, but in cooler weather it could be important.

I don't know of any way to guarantee a hen would be broody when you brought them home. If one goes broody you can try to keep her broody by putting fake eggs under her but it may not work out.

Most broody hens will accept chicks but most does not mean all. If the number of chicks and the timing works out I'd try, but you get no guarantees.

Also, will it make it harder to integrate the started pullets when I bring them in, weeks later?

It may work out well, it may not. Consider quarantine.

3.) Do I quarantine day olds? I would separate the broody into her own space but it would still be in the coop, not completely separate from my existing flock. If so, I realize they would have to go in the brooder instead.

I do not quarantine day old chicks.

4.) I assume I have to quarantine the started pullets, even though they are coming from a hatchery, right?

I would.

 

[BlueDawnRising]

You are planning to order 55 chicks, including the straight run breeds? That's a lot of chicks!
Getting straight run chicks works very well here, and having all of these birds together, same age, will be easier. Extra cockerels can go into the freezer, or to a local auction, or craigslist, and you might find a cockerel or two that you decide to keep. Who knows?
If you have your chicks vaccinated against Marek's disease, they need to be totally isolated from your flock for two weeks or a bit longer, to develop immunity before being out there. If your chicks aren't vaccinated for this disease, they can be out in their separate brooder area with their brooder plates right away.
Timing a broody hen to a chick shipment would be wonderful, maybe, but don't get your hopes up!
And broody hens can be wonderful, or not, and having first time broody hens means you don't know how that individual will really behave, maybe well, maybe not.
Mary

Not ordering 55 (although…) but 3 of the 55 Flowery breed. Planning on 3 of each breed so 12 total. I haven’t butchered yet so I worry to get cockerels. We butchered when I was young…I think I could if push came to shove but it isn’t my goal or preference at this time. Chicks will be vaccinated for Marek’s so, if I am reading your response right, I couldn’t use a broody. Is that correct? Want to make sure I understand! Thanks for the reply!

 

[BlueDawnRising]

Quarantine any chickens older than a week, personal opinion, others will likely disagree. Any chicks/chickens that didn't arrive together will need to be integrated separately.

If you have chicks that are 4 weeks or under they could possibly be put with the day olds once they reach 2 weeks, but the younger chicks could get bullied, so keep a close eye on things.

I would hold off on trying to do it all at once. It can get pretty overwhelming really quick if things don't go smoothly. Especially if some of the new birds end up sick or injured.

As @Folly's place said 1st time broodies are a gamble. They may sit and hatch the eggs, but end up being terrible mothers. Some may dance all over the eggs and break them, or quit sitting mid incubation.

Good luck!

Thank you for responding! The chicks would be the same age…around 5 weeks. I would get the sexed breeds as day olds and order 5 week old pullets to be picked up 5 weeks later. Does that make sense? So at the 5 week mark, all 12 would be 5 weeks old but 6 would have been here for the growing period and 6 would have been at the hatchery. If the 6 I bring home as day olds don’t end up under a broody, I was wondering about putting the 6 new arrivals with them but I am learning I need to quarantine them first anyway so I’m not sure it is even an option to put them together at the 5 week mark. I have two brooders so I can separate them. I was hoping for 1.) convenience, and 2.) a larger group of newbies added to the existing flock. I thought that might make it more difficult to single out individuals.

 

[BlueDawnRising]

If you put the chicks under a hen, she might not except them and they might just get picked on by everyone (happened to me once when mama did hatch the chicks). If you did that, they should probably be monitored closely.

Good to know! Thank you for responding and sharing your experience! I am worried about this for sure!

 

[Folly's place]

Chicks need two to three weeks isolated from your birds and their environment so that they develop the protection from the Mareks' vaccine. If you want them right out with your flock, don't bother vaccinating them. Unless you are POSITIVE that you don't have Mareks disease out there.
Mary