What age is best...

[SuzyB]

to get some new girls?

Having just lost one of my ex batts, Im determined to grow the flock. The last 3 girls I got back in June at 14 weeks are very skittish and really dont like being handled. I thought maybe if I got some chicks, we could rear them and obviously get them very used to being handled. Found a source for sex linked ones but obviously they wont have had injections, that sort of thing.

The chap I bought my last three from who runs a good set up and is trustworthy doesnt have any chicks at the moment, but does have some that are 3 weeks old and going through their vacinations etc and will be ready in 2 weeks. Is 5 weeks still a good age to get them used to being handled or will I be better off with the day olds? If I do that, what sort of vacinations will they need etc?

Anyone with any advise as to which is the better way to go?

[Bramble-Poultry]

5 weeks is still ok if you want to spend time with them handling them, probably better as they will be or nearly be off heat too.

As for vacines there are hundreds of the blinking things, but Mareks, newcastle disease and fowl pox are the most common ones, but you can get them for mycoplasma, respiratory diseases.

Even handling a bird from a young age is no guarentee of having a tame bird - however it goes a long way towards!

[Suechooks]

Apart from the ex-batts I've had all my hens at POL. They are all handled regularly - daily mostly. It seems to depend on breed - I have 4 warrens who literally come to be picked up and have since the day I brought them home. The others are all hybrids (Sussex, Bluebelle, Black Rock, Speckledy, Amber Link) and no problem to handle.
I had 5 mixed pure breeds also at POL (stolen a few weeks ago) and after 10 days could barely get near them!

[bluemoon]

We bought 6 POL Copper Marans and a couple of weeks later 3 Rhodies and 2 Gold-Tops, all aged 8 weeks. The ones bought POL come to you if you have treats in your hand, but really don't like being picked up. Once you have hold of them they calm down, but only to the extent that they're sitting still and waiting for an opportunity to get away. The ones bought at 8 weeks are incredibly friendly and easy to handle and love to sit on our knees. They're all especially fond of OH, but that's because I broke my toe within a few days of getting them and he was stuck with much of the care for the first couple of weeks, I think this proves that they've become attached to the person who raised them when young. I'll always hatch my own or buy growers from now on.

[Flummery]

It depends somewhat on the breed as to whether they are skittish about being handled, I think. Ours were bought at 17 weeks (Rangers) and have turned out to be really friendly, nosey little critters.

[SuzyB]

The ones that will be five weeks are Blackrocks and Speckledy, I think Im leaning more towards those, at least I know they will be vaccinated etc. Im presuming they will still be quite small, is that right?