How To Add Another Chicken To Your Flock | Chicken Coop Backyard
How To Add Another Chicken To Your Flock
Surprisingly, I got the final results back from the necropsy performed by the CAHFS Lab already, and their conclusion as to why Sophia died? They dont know why (although they used more scientific terms than that). At the very least, we know she didnt die of any infectious disease thanks to their tests.
So, knowing we dont have something communicable in our remaining flock of one, we can think of building it up again. ZsuZsu is back to laying eggs again, and Im anxious to get her a companion to share the Eglu out in the backyard.
As with all things chicken-related, Ive been doing some research on the subject of adding a new chicken to the flock, and I gotta tell you: this isnt as easy as dropping another goldfish in the aquarium.
Among the finer points of "how to introduce the new bird" which present a challenge:
- To accommodate biosecurity concerns, well need to keep the new bird separated from ZsuZsu for anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 weeks depending on which resource you choose to heed. We certainly dont want to get ZsuZsu sick from a companion, no matter how lonely she is. Keeping them separated, however, presents a bit of a challenge in our backyard, and well need to get yet another temporary pen/house to do so.
- To accommodate behavioral concerns, were going to need to find a way to provide room in the Eglu (run is 7x3, coop is 2.5x2.5) for the newbie to get away from ZsuZsu, or vice versa, while they establish the pecking order. While Id love to think ZsuZsu is easy-going and will quickly warm up to whatever new bird we bring in, I also need to be prepared for them to not get along.
Talking things over with LeftCoastMom, weve agreed we dont want to start raising a week-old chick at this point of the year. Im getting ready to do some pretty heavy travel in the next few months, and the room in which we raised Sophia and ZsuZsu two years ago has been converted into a painting/crafts room for our daughters.
So that leaves us to get a months-old pullet. Ive found a local source, Ranch Hag Hens, from which to get the chicken (well decide on the breed from what they have available when we get there: either a Rhode Island or an Orpington or a Brahma). And theyre not too far away, just 90 minutes north of us.
Now, before digging into the finer points of adding chickens to an existing flock, Id thought I could take my daughters with me on the drive up and over the Golden Gate Bridge tomorrow to visit Ranch Hag Hens and pick out a new chicken.
It depends now on how much prep work I can get done today to set up a temporary new coop and run in the backyard today. Wish me luck.
"Vacancy" Photo Credit: Jeremy Brooks on Flickr
How To Add Another Chicken To Your Flock