Question about getting more chicks

[chickmama320]

Saturday we picked up six babies from a feed store but as we all know, this ladies are addictive. I am considering stoping by a different feed store tomorrow (tractor supply) to see what they have. Question though, since they would be from a different store and about 5 days younger, would I need to set up a second brooder for them or or would they be able to go together?

 

[latb611]

I did the same thing except mine were 2 weeks apart and after a little bit of bullying they got along fine.

 

[chickmama320]

I was also wondering as far as quarantine issues

 

[_Wildwood_]

I just did the same thing.

While I was at the feed store, I found a few of the breeds Meyer's was sold out of, so I bought a few and just put them in with the rest of my chicks. They're now about three weeks old and everyone is doing great.

 

[dheltzel]

I was also wondering as far as quarantine issues

Well, "in theory" all chicks should be disease free, coming from NPIP certified hatcheries. Most diseases affecting chickens are acquired after hatching and the hatcheries are careful to keep the chick area isolated from egg production areas (often separated my many miles).

In practice, a batch of chicks could be infected with a disease brought in by other shoppers or employees and that could transmit to your existing chicks, but I wouldn't worry about that too much. Keeping them separate for a time probably won't help on that front anyway.

I would be more concerned about the existing chicks, perhaps being large and more established in the brooder, harassing and even injuring the new ones. So keep a close eye on them and maybe be prepared to separate them if needed.

 

[rosinsk1772]

I just picked up two awesome purebread ameraecana that are two weeks old I popped them in the brooder with refridgerator run with a little bullying for a couple hours, and now their fine. As far as quarintining that's up to you. My wife put it best in natural settings do birds quarintine

 

[monoglot]

chickens establish a pecking order at a young age, and bringing in new chickens usually results in fighting. My solution to that problem is introducing chickens to the henhouse under the cover of night, so as to trick the flock and avoid problems. But this happens to older chickens. But I don't know if it would be a problem for chicks

 

[chickmama320]

You all were supposed to tell me "absolutely no, not under any circumstances" and talk me out of it lol

 

[monoglot]

You are at the wrong place for that lol. We love chickens here the more the merrier. Also. If you pick up your chicks at Least once a day they will not be as scared of people.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You all were supposed to tell me "absolutely no, not under any circumstances" and talk me out of it lol

- why on Earth would we do that.........