Simplest way to increase flock?

[Leighe]

I know everyone recommends some type of quarantine. I lost two of my 9 hens today. One was found dead in the run. I looked her over real good and saw no signs of injuries or any idea as to what happened. I have one of my RIR missing as well and found a pile of feathers in my yard where they were free ranging at the time. Not sure what got her but it is weird that one appears to have been attacked and another was found dead, all within an hour of me letting them out as I do most evenings.

Anyway I would like to buy maybe four or more hens to add to my flock. I currently only have one coop with run so don't know what the best options are to quarantine and integrate some new ones into my current flock which is now down to 7?

Thanks

You might consider a game camera so you can see what's happening or lurking around your girls.....

 

[aart]

If possible I would recommend 10-14 days quarantine somewhere they can see each other.

This not really a quarantine, but part of an integration process.

 

[flyin-lowe]

My initial thought today was to get some type of small coop and then set it next to my existing coop/run. Then I could build a temporary run using one of the existing walls of my current run. Then I got to thinking that this would be good to integrate them but they would be too close to each other to be considered quarantined, as that right. Or as long as they cannot contact each other physically and are not sharing feed/water is that enough to keep them safe from health issues they might have?

 

[aart]

Or as long as they cannot contact each other physically and are not sharing feed/water is that enough to keep them safe from health issues they might have?

No, it is not.
Re-read posts 14 and 15 and check out the links provided in 14.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/simplest-way-to-increase-flock.1191742/page-2#post-18840724

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/simplest-way-to-increase-flock.1191742/page-2#post-18840870

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My initial thought today was to get some type of small coop and then set it next to my existing coop/run. Then I could build a temporary run using one of the existing walls of my current run. Then I got to thinking that this would be good to integrate them but they would be too close to each other to be considered quarantined, as that right. Or as long as they cannot contact each other physically and are not sharing feed/water is that enough to keep them safe from health issues they might have?

I agree with Ridgerunner and Aart.

True quarantine for medical illness requires separate, isolated pens out of sight, out of wind draft, out of dander float, no shared ground or fence or food or water (that you carry too!).

It is impossible to do any kind of real medical quarantine in a backyard as most simply don't have the space or facilities. You can create an environment that does approximate a reasonable attempt at quarantine.

I approximate an isolation quarantine with a quarantine cage on the side of the house that has separate access from the house. I use boots and coat hanging by that door for that cage only. Those birds have separate feed and water bowls carried directly to that cage area and left there. I do not carry feed or water between my flock and those birds. There is no shared fence space nor ground space. I have a tall heavy fence between that side of the house and the back yard...but technically, air flow still could go around....but it is the best I can do, and should generally cut down on close contact disease transmissions such as MG, lice, mites, coccidia, but viruses can still carry in the wind. Hopefully the heavy fence reduces that.

If you want to purchase started birds, it is a risk. You have to weigh how much you want those started birds with how much you want to risk the head ache of addressing a disease in your flock.

I have purchased started pullets and have had no issues. I have also had a bird bring in Infectious Bronchitis that passed to my whole flock causing me to lose 2 birds and weeks of egg production. (That was before I kept stricter isolation quarantine).

Isolation helps prevent flock wide mite and lice infection, which is a big pain to treat if you have to treat the whole flock.

So I am with the camp that says if you purchase started birds, purchase from a reliable source and quarantine for 4 weeks.

But the best thing is to purchase day old chicks or hatch eggs.

LofMc

 

[Mrs. K]

I have often done this, without quarantine, and gotten lucky. A lot of people pretend to quarantine, the birds next to each other is not quarantine, they are sharing the same air.

I think that a similar set up is pretty safe. If it has a flock that is not going to shows, not picking up birds in a swap, or an auction. Occasionally I go to another board, and they make my blood run cold. Those birds have been exposed to God knows what. I would not want to bring that into my flock.

However, a lady who lives near by me, has been raising birds for quite awhile. She raises birds similar to me, and when one of us has been hit with predators, we have traded birds.

Generally speaking, healthy looks healthy. Now there ARE REAL RISKS, and if you are going into a state of decline if you loose your flock, don't risk it. If you have a very expensive flock or a large number of birds, don't risk it. DO NOT TAKE ANY BIRD YOU FEEL SORRY FOR.

I do keep an eagle eye on them for the first week, and if something showed up sick, I would immediately cull. However, that is how I keep my own flock too. I don't do veterinarians, or medicine for birds.

Adding more is better,
good luck, Mrs K

 

[poodlechicks]

I'd like to add a quick word about one thing to look for when choosing birds: MANAGEMENT.
Look for how the seller manages his/her flock:
1- Is the area kept clean (as much as the chickens themselves allow for it?
2- Are you allowed in or in close proximity to the coop and run without being asked to wash your hands or disinfect your shoes?
3- Are feeders and waterers kept away from poop and dirt? Does the water look clean?
Good flock management can be practiced whether the birds free range or not.
This is what I would look for at first.
As for myself, I don't allow people who have flocks of their own near my flock unless I take precautions.
In terms of quarantine, I think you got it covered with the many great posts above.
Like many said before, quarantine is a lot of work, but well worth the effort as birds may only show symptoms when exposed to the stress of moving.
I'm sorry for the loss of your chickens and wish you the best of luck with your new additions!

 

[flyin-lowe]

I ended up building a small temporary coop out of some skids and a new tarp. A guy not too farm from me has some Amberlinks that are just reaching laying age, some are starting to lay. Anyway I got five of them and have them in the new coop several hundred yards away from my original. I plan to monitor them in there for several weeks. Then begin to introduce them. My thoughts were to initially just let them free range together to start to get used to each other. Some have said just thrown them in and let them figure it out. I have some time to research the best way to introduce them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd let them free range together for a week or more before I forced them together since you have that option. It won't hurt and it might make a lot of difference.

 

[flyin-lowe]

So I left the new chicks in quarantine for 4 weeks with no signs of issues. After that I let them all out to free range a few times together. There was a few squabbles when they got together but the two separate flocks stuck together for the most part. Yesterday I moved the 5 new hens to the coop, most of the old birds stayed outside the coop in the run. I went back out after dark and found most of the new hens roosting on the ramp and in the pop door. I lifted them up and set them on the new roosting bar I added yesterday and they stayed there until I left. I was hoping since the roosting bar I added was new the old hens would not be bonded to that bar and would allow the new ones to roost on it. I am curious tonight if the new hens use it again or try to sleep outside again. The new ones are spending most of the time in the coop and not venturing out into the run yet while the other hens are out there. So far I haven't seen any fighting that was too serious. The new ones found and used the nest boxes first day so that was a plus. In the temp. coop I built them they laid all their eggs outside and would not use the box I provided so I was worried about that.