Mixing chicks?

[Country Gal]

Hello!

First, I LOVE this site! I've picked up so many good tips on raising chickens!

I am expecting my delivery of (25) chicks on April 23rd. In the meantime, there is a local poultry auction/swapmeet on April 21st.

#1 - what should I expect at the swapmeet? I've never been to one and have no idea what's going on.

#2 - if I get some chicks from the swapmeet, can I keep them in the same brooder with the chicks I'm expecting on the 23rd? Or is there a certain "age limit" where I might need to have 2 brooders?

Thanks for your help!
Kelly

 

[chickenmomva]

I am new to the site and chickens too.... but I do know you never mix birds at first they have to be kind of quarantined for awhile and if they are different ages you have to intergrate slowly I think......but I wouldnt mis them at first the birds at the swampmeat might have other germs and might not be healthy and could infect the babies you get later

I think!!!!!!!

 

[justusnak]

You wil not want to mix the peeps....mainly for illness reasons. I am sure everyone there will be selling healthy birds, but you never know what someone else, someone looking at those birds, might carry in. So, you will want to isolate the ones from the swap meet, at least 30 days. I would say...get a second brooder.Just to be safe.

 

[bigzio]

I agree with 2 brooders. Keeping them seperate will limit the problems to only one brooder if something is wrong, otherwise the whole flock could become ill, and you might not know which ones caused it.

bigzio