New stock?

[Stapfam]

Having extended my run for the bantams and made provision for a quarantine area within that run- I have decided it is time to get new stock for next year so today me and the wife are off to Mantel Farm near Battle in Sussex to get another 3 hybrids.

Only started keeping chickens 4 years ago and initially we got 5 and they were in a mobile Coop and run that ruined the grass at the bottom of the garden.Following year and another 3 were bought as a larger permanent run had been built and I liked eggs. Lost a couple that year so another 3 were bought the following year and we now have 7 Chooks- one of which is 4 years old and another in the dog cage as she has gone broody--AGAIN.

The way I built the extended run means that I can cut off an area for quarantine or have that quarantine are as part of the run. So I can have one- two or 3 runs in use from the one area.

So out looking for 3 more hybrids today as I now have too many neighbours that have got used to Proper eggs- instead of the things they buy from Tesco's.

I'll post pics later once the new girls are settled in.

 

[Marigold]

I love the way that concern for your neighbours' welfare is a good excuse for getting more hens, Stapfam! Enjoy your day!

 

[Chuck]

Quarantine can't be carried out in a run within a run. Quarantine/isolation facilities need to be at least two metres away from the main run so there is no contact between the birds.
Pen within a pen should help with settling in problems though.
There is no better reason for getting more hens than expansion of the business ! This will help keep Mantel in business, the hatchery, the feed suppliers et.al.

 

[Stapfam]

3 new girls- Black tail-a nera and a white ranger.

Still very wary and skittish but settling in and found the food and water.

Wife has named them and the white one is Bianca. She is white- and I do mean white- so no trouble finding her in the dark. The other two are Pat and Peggy. Yes---the wife is an East Ender's addict. Mantel farm do their own quarantine before they allow birds for sale and I have bought from them before. So my "Quarantine" cage is just to allow then to settle in and adjust before they get thrown in at the deepend. 16 weeks old so point of lay and still at a sensible price.

The small coop had to be modified to take 3 and I was pleased to note- no sign of any pests in the Featheredge boarding when I took it apart to enlarge. Still got a spray with disinfectant before assembling though. They have shown no interest in the coop yet so may have to put them in when they settle down for the night. They will probably have a couple of weeks in here before they get bullied by the older birds so may take the broody out of the dog cage and put her in with them next week. Just to start introductions.

 

[karminski]

sounds like you have the same set up as me i have a smaller section of the large run split of that i call the quantine section but its rarely used probably been used more for broodies then for quantine . but as i have now been given premission to extend the whole plot into a run my bantams will get a new bigger area of around 33ft by ethier 9 ft or 13 ft not sure what way to go as i would really want them to have a soild roof and if i go 9ft wide i can get 10ft corrugated panels which would give a 5inch overlap each side to fit guttering on, nothing like building runs after runs is there :lol: :lol: but once this is done thats it for me so hopfuly by the end of september my little Bs will have a bigger new home .but i am still going to keep the extension they are in now as i can use that to put the quails in

 

[Stapfam]

Available materials are one thing that has to be borne in mind when building runs. Don't know if you can get 14ft corrugated roofing but 10ft is easy to find. I found "Wicks" to be the cheapest in my area by the way.

And 8pm the new girls were ready for bed and roosting on top of the coop. Easy enough to pick each one up individually and put them into the coop. In fact dead easy- the calmest they have been all day. Bianca is quite a sizable bird in comparison to the other two but they all look a bit tall and thin in comparison to the older girls. They will be on growers pellets for a couple of weeks till they are put in with the others and then they will get layers.

And no reaction from the older girls other than in the first 5 minutes but the bantams are still wanting to get in with them. Probably so that the two cocks can show who is boss.

 

[karminski]

i have someone who might be getting me some twin polycarbonate sheets for nothing but i cant wait as it maybe a few months yet before i start getting any and it may be odd small bits i wont know until i get some but a lot of my materails are free anyway as i get the scrap wood from the local wood mechants as they cant sell it if its bowed or cracked its agaisnt the law so instead of them binning it at the dump we go and collect what we want its worth checking places like that if theres any near you .

 

[bantiekeeper]

I am also getting a couple of new dotte bantams in a few weeks time when they are old enough. Have built a foldable netted screen which I can pull across the main run to keep them separate for a while. The older birds free range every afternoon and I will let them all out but keep the newbies apart for a while. I have made a small mini coop for the newbies to use until they are integrated. The only down side is that my main coop has an auto pop hole on a timer but I will have to do the mini coop manually so no lie ins for a bit! Buy all my Dottes from the same source. Have 5 at the moment, the newcomers will be a gold laced and a silver laced. Can't wait!!

 

[Marigold]

3 new girls- Black tail-a nera and a white ranger.

Still very wary and skittish but settling in and found the food and water.
Mantel farm do their own quarantine before they allow birds for sale and I have bought from them before. So my "Quarantine" cage is just to allow then to settle in and adjust before they get thrown in at the deepend..

They look very nice birds, Stapfam, especially Bianca. Is she a White Star? looks like a leghorn tail on her.

I don't understand how they can be quarantined at the place of origin before they come to you. When chickens move home, the resultant stress often depletes their immune systems so they may go down with latent infections not apparent when they were bought, but which appear in the fortnight after the move and can then be transmitted to your flock. Also, in a new environment they may meet infectious challenges that your birds have become immune to, but are new to their systems. As I understand it, this is the purpose of quarantining new chickens in your own premises, along with taking time to worm them and treat with insecticidal powder etc. Whilst it would be good to know they had been kept separately at the breeders place, it might be unwise to expect this to replace ordinary quarantine measures when you get them home. Like you, I get my birds from a reliable breeder that I trust, but again, just because the previous lot of birds have been fine, it doesn't necessarily mean that a subsequent batch will be equally trouble-free- much can happen to a flock over a few weeks or months, some of it beyond the control of even the best keeper.

 

[Stapfam]

Understand the quarantine side- and that is why the new run incorporates a Quarantine area. Space does restrict what I can do so it is adjacent to- and can be opened up -to the main run. My quarantine is for settling in and I will have to take my chance on any problems coming in.

But Bianca stood out when we picked her- she is white and a very upright tail. She is classed as a white ranger so just a hybrid. No hierarchy being shown amongst these 3 yet but I have a feeling that they will only be kept separated for a couple of weeks. The adults are not showing any interest in them at all- which is more than can be said for the Bantams. They were Mite dusted before being put in the box-at my request-at Mantel farm and it is not something they would do normally as their "Pest" control is vigorous. I will be using cider vinegar in a week or so in the water but I will let them settle down and leave them alone as much as possible. The Black tail is very skittish and needs a few more days settling in before she is handled much.

And while I am on--Someone likened Pekins to Tea Cosy's . This morning I had one of the cocks fluffed up and strutting and that description fitted him to a "T". Only 10 weeks old but looking better every day. Just Hope I can keep him.

 

[Marigold]

Understand the quarantine side- and that is why the new run incorporates a Quarantine area. Space does restrict what I can do so it is adjacent to- and can be opened up -to the main run. My quarantine is for settling in and I will have to take my chance on any problems coming in.

.

Yes, I think you're right, Stapfam, and like me, not having enough space to completely separate them, one just has to do the best to source healthy stock from a reliable supplier and hope for the best, whilst having all the advantages of socialising them next to the existing hens. I just wondered what the breeder had said when he told you he had quarantined them, because as you know this is not really what quarantine means.

 

[Stapfam]

All the new hens for sale are kept in a separate building-inoculated if not done by the breader- wormed-Checked for mite and if any present the whole flock are dusted. The 10 to 14 days later they are for sale--Unless any problems arise within the new birds.

But providing you have an eye- you can pick up problems within an establishment. I have walked out of some places after seeing the state of the place and several times not liking the condition or look of the birds. I do not expect any place to be immaculate and the occasional bird that is a bit bald but perky and bright is not a problem. But any birds looking poorly and it is not worth buying anything from them.

And problem number one came up this morning. I have a feather plucker. The Nera was pulling feathers from the Black tail and eating them. I now smell of what i think is iodine from the feather plucking spray and the wife won't go near the chickens. If it carries on I might have to "Quarantne the Nera in a dog cage till it behaves.

 

[Marigold]

Let's hope she leaves your beautiful Bianca alone, or she'll be for the chop!