Winter and New chickens

[Kerrie Ann]

This is the story we got 5 chickens about 2 months ago from the same women we are planning to get 2 more from. We are new at this so this is why Iam posting before I make a final decision. Just want to find a safe way to introduce them.

Again I heard put them in the coop while the old chickens are sleeping and the other was to keep them seperated for a week or so.

Thank you all so much for suggestions keep them coming.

 

[Tres Amigas]

Kerrie -- Please read this thread that was just posted this evening regarding the importance of quarantine!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7451614#p7451614

Edited to add: ...and another one just now posted: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7451641#p7451641

'Nuff said.

 

[Kerrie Ann]

So what is the best way to do this? I have just one chicken coop and one runner. I think I may wait untill the spring we were planning to open part of the gardn and let them run free maybe at that point I will have more room to quarantine. Do you have to do this no matter where you get the chickens or how old they are?

 

[lollimama]

I would think your dog container should work well. We use a small animal container for our babies at night since their tiny coop/pin is not closed up for nighttime and I'm a softy We have kept ours apart for a pretty long time - first with adding our two pullets to the big coop and now with our young babies. I've also heard that you don't want to introduce them till they are about the same size which I can understand with all that pecking that goes on Can you use the dog container for their coop and then let them out some during the day?

 

[Kerrie Ann]

I maybe able to use the dog crate but I think we are wait now until the spring at that point we will have more room we are planning to open up the run and let them out in part of our garden.

 

[heatherkh]

Quote:
This is what we did, and other than the rooster waking up and seeing to the new girls immediately, we had no other issues. It might not work for everyone, but it sure did work for us.

Regarding quarantine, we adopted the new girls from a farm where I volunteer caring for the chickens, so I knew they were in good health.

 

[PtldChick]

Quote:
Are you very far from Somerset? My dad grew up there on Riverside Ave on the Taunton river.

L