Hello from Oregon

[ChickMomma]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to keeping chickens, so I've decided to join this forum in hopes of gaining some knowledge

We currently live on some acreage (approximately 6.5) and there are 6 chickens living on the property. Our property is adjacent to my in-laws, and the current 6 are technically my BIL's but I take care of them occasionally. I have no clue what their species are but here are some pics of the first 4 -two are juveniles and are living separate due to attitude issues (I don't have pictures of them yet).





The original 4 started laying right before the summer ended, but have quit now thanks to winter.



My MIL notified me yesterday that we'll be getting 7 more this weekend, and has asked that I help her to take care of them. So this morning my husband and I helped set up a temporary living area for the 7 new ones until we can get a large enough coop and run built to accommodate all 13 chickens. Plus, I'm assuming the new chickens should go through some sort of quarantine and acclimation period in their new home before adding the stress of new flock members as well.

Although I'm new to chickens, I'm not new to birds in general- I have cared for parrots for the past few years; we currently have a galah cockatoo and 3 budgies. We also have 3 large dogs, 1 small dog, 4 cats, and a horse.

Anyways, I've been stuffing my head full of info about chickens these last couple of days and I feel like I'm learning quite a bit- hopefully once the newbies arrive I can get pictures of everyone and get them identified as far as species go and their care requirements.

 

[chrismahon]

Hello ChickMomma and welcome to the forum. Breed standards around the world have differences, so it can be rather difficult to identify them. The second photo looks something like a Cream Legbar crossed with Faverolles and I think it's her that laid the blue egg. The hen on the left in the first photo is a Gold Laced wyandotte -she has a 'rose' comb. We have those but they are a wider body with bigger combs. The other two I don't recognise, but all four are youngsters in their first year I would say.

A lot of people are falling foul of the immunisation programmes that some breeders use in England (we did), although one person recently reported reading of hundreds of cases like hers in America. You need to check carefully who has had what before you buy anything. Some breeders birds will be carrying the IB, ILT and Mycoplasma viruses which will flare up and be shed when stressed -like moving to a new home. Birds that haven't had immunisation will catch them and will be very ill and even new carriers can develop secondary infections. So if your existing birds have no immunisation and the new birds have immunisation you are potentially going to have problems. The only way round it is to run two closed flocks.

 

[Marigold]

Hi ChickMomma. And welcome fom me, too. It sounds as if you'll have your work cut out, looking after all those chickens. The ones you have look happy and healthy and they certainly have plenty of space. What are the winters like in Oregon? Did you get any trouble from the recent snowstorms over there in the East of the country? I have friends in Oregon and it looks a very beautiful place to live.
I have to disagree a little bit with Chris about mixing unvaccinated and vaccinated pullets. Whilst some people may have had issues,perhaps from birds which hadn't taken the vaccination properly and then got infected and passed it on, if the birds are healthy to start with and are kept correctly the risk is small compared with the problems that are possible every time you introduce new birds to an existing flock. Also most pullets bought from commercial breeders will be vaccinated anyway and in my opinion this is a very good thing, protects the birds against a while range of possible chicken diseases. I know Chris did have a problem with mixing them, but I have never found this to be the case and I think the probability is that your existing birds lol have been vaccinated anyway, so go for this if you can. This is one of those hairy old chicken questions that people take sides about, but it's important not to overstate the problems I think.
You are right to think about quarantining new birds for at least two weeks, and in this time they have a chance to settle down and get over the stress of moving to a new home before having to face integrating wth the existing birds.

 

[ChickMomma]

Chris-
Thank you for the species help...maybe I can get some better pictures of them all and post them later.

They are fairly young; I think they around 1-1.5 years old. The two juveniles (from this year's spring) I pulled from the pen after my BIL stuck them in there thinking they were ready- and they weren't!! [emoji35] poor babies were being bullied and kept away from food and water by the older ones.

All of our current chickens were chicks purchased from our local farm store, so I would assume they were already vaccinated since they were hatched "commercially".

Marigold-
Oregon is mostly rain for 9 months when it's not summer lol but last winter it was really dry... We haven't had any trouble from the recent storm that slammed Alberta, but we might get some freezing rain tonight. Right now highs vary from 40s-50s (F) and lows from 30s-40s.

Everything stays pretty green except for the deciduous trees- there is still green grass available for the ladies to peck at.