Week old chicks, and adding 2 more same age.

[louhart]

New to the chicken world. It's amazing so far!!

I have 4 baby bantams, and was thinking of adding 2 white silkies the same age. How long should I quarantine? Thanks for any advice.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I don't quarantine for day old chicks from hatcheries or feed stores, personally.

But if you bought them off craigslist or from a stranger and want to know what people generally quarantine for, generally I have read for a month (on BYC).

It is a personal decision.

There are diseases that can pass quarantine, rendering chickens asymptomatic carriers.

 

[louhart]

Thank you for your advice ChickensAreSweet. I got the 4 from my pet chicken, and then new 2 buff laced polish bantams from a really good feed store here in town. Seem to be healthy. Cleaned them up and let them loose.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you for your advice ChickensAreSweet. I got the 4 from my pet chicken, and then new 2 buff laced polish bantams from a really good feed store here in town. Seem to be healthy. Cleaned them up and let them loose.

You are welcome!

I have found that adding chicks older than 2 weeks old to day old chicks doesn't work (three week olds are just too fast for the new day-old babies) so if you are going to add to the flock with day olds, try to do it before your babies are older than two weeks.

Or you can keep two groups of chicks separate until they are all about the same size.

I hope this helps!

 

[louhart]

I'm lucky the new little ladies are only 3 days older and similar in size. They are calmer and sit in our hands as soon as we go in to do anything; leading my original 4 to think we're pretty cool.