Please give me your votes for BO replacement

[Mahonri]

My barred rocks are growing on me.

 

[swedishfish]

Mohonri, I named my rooster after you - well, I named it before...but still think it's pretty funny!

 

[desertgirl]

Ok-update!

I found a really nice woman who will wants to adopt Hank!!! Yay!!!

I am going to miss him, but at least he will be going to a good home.


Now for the BO replacement...
After all of the input, I am going to get a barred rock after work.

Question: the rest of the girls will be here around the first week of June.
1) They will be close enough in size/age to put together, right? What is the rule of thumb ?
2)I've read about quarantining, but don't really understand how it works. How long should everyone be seperated before I can be sure all are ok? Is it only for adult birds? I know it isn't necessary if you get them from the hatchery, but what about local stores (who, I assume, get them from hatcheries)?

Thanks for all of the help!

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Rule of thumb? Put them together at night.

You can build a separate pen to quarantine them, and thats a good idea when a new bunch is brought to the established yard. Particularly when the replacements are from a local source. Let them look at each other for 3 weeks or so as you monitor the newcomers.
But they will quarrel, regardless, when they are eventually face to face.

So, slip them together quietly at night, and then make a big clanking ruckus when you bring their morning feeding. They will lose track of each other in the ensuing feeding frenzy, and the quarreling will be kept to a minimum.

'Lots easier on you.

 

[desertgirl]

Good advice. So it is mostly behavioral issues with chicks and health issues + behavioral issues with adults?

 

[sunnibunny99]

Barred Rock, RIR, And Phoenix are the sweetest we have

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Mostly behavioral.
Health issues should be handled by good management of the flock and it's environs. That's on you.

- Choose healthy stock from a reliable source.
- Keep their coop 3-4 feet off the ground. Make it dry above and on the floor.
- Keep them free of drafts whistling into the coop and run.
- Make sure they do not live with wet feet and wet feathers when outdoors.
- Give them shade at summers height.
- Keep their run raked, clean and mulched weekly. DO NOT site it where wter accumulates.
- Fill their dusting box or basin with sifted fire ashes.
- Feed them quality feed according to a formula plan.
Make them scratch for at least part of their grain and ration breakfast. Feed green foods and kitchen scraps during midday. Give grain and ration in the evening so they go to roost sated.
- Always give fresh water, in abundance.

Doing these things are a bit of a bother, at first. But they will create chickens kept in healthy condition, which in turn wont give you many illness related problems.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
Interesting... but being from Utah, I can understand.

Must be a visionary roo!

 

[desertgirl]

I've gone through the list and I'm good except for the fire ashes. No fire place...

Maybe dirt + DE would be ok?

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Sifted dirt, sure. It needs to be fine and well... dusty.

But, you can start a small fire pit almost anywhere to burn woody yard refuse, sticks, dead vines... what have you. It only has to hold a few cubic feet of volume to make an adequate and measured blaze. Make it longer than deeper, so a draft will be gotten in. DIg it trenchwise and do the burning on a screen or grid over the top, so the ashes fall to the bottom. So you see, you don't need a fire place, per se, but the ashes themselves are beneficial to the birds and worth the getting in.
Store them in a covered container so rain wont render them mucky and useless.

BTW, they are also very good in the garden, especially tined in around tomatoes or dug deep between crops. Give them a try - and they are virtually free. Chickens should always be managed with an eye to minimum cost.
DE will cost you, of course, so that kinda nulls the whole "minimum cost" thing...