[Maddie]

Some advice would be really helpfully please!!

I have already got four Buff Orpingtons which I have had since approx 10 weeks and they are now 24 weeks. There is enough room in the coup and run for more chickens and I would really like to get some more (2 or 3). I would also like to get them at POL, not as chicks.

I have read quite a lot of articles that advice NOT to do it as the new chickens will either be killed or spread disease to the rest of the flock, where as others say there are no problems.

Any advice on when (if ) is the best time to add to the existing flock and which breed to get as the Buffs were quite difficult to get hold of.

Thanks

[plumseverywhere]

I frequently add a few to my flock as and when numbers require it.

I add them in at roosting time, yes there's a bit of a squabble and pecking order rearranging come morning but within 48 hours we have a happy flock. Just make sure you have gentian violet or purple spray to hand 
Make sure any you buy in are vaccinated/wormed and so on. you might like to add poultry spice to their feed to cope with stress of moving.
If you are keen on the large birds, cochins are pretty fab 

[Maddie]

Thanks that is great..

Do you know of any local breeders?

[Moleskins]

I added two more to my five, put them in at evening time and all was well.

[plumseverywhere]

Thanks that is great..

Do you know of any local breeders?

where are you?

[Moleskins]

Scotland I think Plums ......... Inver somewhere got to be a way off from you

[jaykay]

You do just need to be careful about disease. Potentially your newcomers could have things your existing birds aren't immune to and vice versa and the whole lot could get ill. Often you get away with it but...

Ideally you keep your new birds separate for about 3 weeks to see that they're ok. I often have mine in an ark that I move into the chook yard for the last week so that when I do sneak the newcomers onto perches in the dark, they're not total strangers.

[Castle Farm]

I frequently add a few to my flock as and when numbers require it.

I add them in at roosting time, yes there's a bit of a squabble and pecking order rearranging come morning but within 48 hours we have a happy flock. Just make sure you have gentian violet or purple spray to hand 
Make sure any you buy in are vaccinated/wormed and so on. you might like to add poultry spice to their feed to cope with stress of moving.
If you are keen on the large birds, cochins are pretty fab 

This goes against all principles of poultry keeping, but hey! why should I worry about it they are not my birds and I don't give a fig for animal welfare.

[plumseverywhere]

Perhaps I should clarify, I have a 'broody coop', in my case a house that takes 3-4 hybrids. This is where new birds go initially. it has its own enclosed run.

WHen I actually add them I follow the method I described above.

Lovely to hear from you Castle Farm, your comments are always so helpful

[Mel]

 Uh oh, I know where I am going!

[hughesy]

Fact is at some point most people will have to integrate some new bought in birds to their existing flock. CF makes valid points however back out in the real world adding new birds happens all the time and rarely are there any real problems if the birds have come from a decent source and are healthy.

[in the hills]

It is probably best to separate for 3 wks IF possible. If you can't then as a previous poster says    source your birds carefully ...... maybe avoid auctions etc. I do separate but my father has kept poultry all his life and never isolated new birds. He has never had problems .... okay lucky maybe ..... of course there will be more risk. I suppose when taking on a new dog,cat or anything else it is best to isolate initially but maybe not always possible. 

[plumseverywhere]

Its also tricky to know what a 'good source ' is I suppose. Places like TAS are good to recommend based on peoples good experiences but pot luck as to finding someone local to you as we are spread far and wide.
Is the large supplier of birds definitely the better option than a small scale hobby breeder? no, not always.
I think I said in my initial post on this thread that I'd make sure new arrivals had been vaccinated and wormed and that's what I do.

[deepinthewoods]

i can see why keeping them seperate for a few weeks could be useful but probably only for people who are keeping high value stock, proffesional breeders etc etc. ive only been keeping chickens around 10 yrs and only up to about 25 birds  ive never quarantined, i always try to add birds by confusing the pecking order, so if ive got ten birds and i want to add 5 ill split the 10 into two groups, ad the new five to one of them then put the other 5 back in after a day or two, it works for me.
ive only ever lost 1 bird to illness.

[Castle Farm]

If you keep poultry you have your own 'set' of bacteria and viruses and your birds usually build up an immunity to the 'set' you have.

Some birds are carriers and look to be perfectly healthy and when you introduce them to other poultry, even at shows, you transfer one 'set' to another bird.

Buying from a local reliable breeder is no guarantee that the birds you buy are totally free of fleas,lice,mites, scaly leg or many of the other disease problems poultry carry. You take a huge risk of cross contamination every time you bring in a new bird/birds.

I run a closed flock here and never ever buy in birds, eggs yes, but I wouldn't want the risk of bringing in any viruses that my 400 birds cannot deal with.

Besides the problem of pecking order and new birds will be attacked ( Purple spray does not have any effect on the stress levels or bullying) your introducing strangers into a community that will defend the space they have and can result in serious damage to a bird.
Adding birds that have been vaccinated to birds that haven't introduces carriers of whatever the birds were vaccinated for. The untreated birds have no immunity to it.

I can do without your smart arse comments Plums. I think I know slightly more about poultry than you do my girl.

Perhaps I should clarify, I have a 'broody coop', in my case a house that takes 3-4 hybrids. This is where new birds go initially. it has its own enclosed run.

WHen I actually add them I follow the method I described above.

Lovely to hear from you Castle Farm, your comments are always so helpful