2 seperate flocks on 1 property? Biosecurity issues? Other advice?

[Echelontheory101]

Hi all!

I'm curious if anyone here has experience managing 2 separate flocks on their property? My first setup is 16x8 which is plenty of space for my 11 current birds. I would like to get more space for more birds next year as I don't want to overcrowd in my current set up, but I am having an internal struggle about the aesthetics of my yard... My current setup looks really nice and if I plop more coop and run stuff right next to it and attach, it's not going to look good anymore, so this is purely a vanity problem. However I have 5 acres so I could absolutely do another nice looking just as large setup on a different part of the property, and since I have so many predators, I'm doing large runs so that I don't have to do a ton of free-ranging.

SO the question is, as long as I don't let them free range together and fight, I assume there'd be no biosecurity issues for managing two seperate flocks on one property right? Things I would need to keep in mind doing this?

I only have 5 acres so they would only be like 500 to 1000ish ft away from each other from a soil organism, stuff on my shoes and clothes etc. standpoint, essentially one in the front yard the other in the back lol. I'm very rural so neither set up would be anywhere near the road or other irritants to the birds.

Thanks all!

 

[kattabelly]

I'd consider them to be effectively one flock unless you're willing to put in place and maintain really stringent biosecurity measures. Larger / commercial operations can manage this but do you really want to be going to that amount of expense and effort and constant vigilance?

If one group comes down with something you might be able to stop it spreading to the others, if you spot it early enough and are able to quarantine effectively, but there's a decent chance both groups will be exposed.

 

[Penpal]

I would quarantine the new birds first. Easy if you are adding chicks.
As for the appeal, just give it more thoughts. Ask for suggestions. You can probably create a nice looking set up to keep them altogether.

 

[Echelontheory101]

I'd consider them to be effectively one flock unless you're willing to put in place and maintain really stringent biosecurity measures. Larger / commercial operations can manage this but do you really want to be going to that amount of expense and effort and constant vigilance?

If one group comes down with something you might be able to stop it spreading to the others, if you spot it early enough and are able to quarantine effectively, but there's a decent chance both groups will be exposed.

Right thats what I was thinking! I just wasn't sure if 1000 feet is enough for a different variety of organisms (dont know a ton about soil variances) but i doubt it, so treating them as one would be the plan but wasn't sure if there concerns with such a shirt distance or not or if there was anything I had yo keep in mind from those that have done that
Thanks so much!!

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

Bringing up "biosecurity" implies you're planning on sanitizing yourself (plus clothing shoes etc) every time you enter and leave one of the coops/runs.
You'd have to make sure there's zero cross contamination caused by you, or any equipment you use for feeding, watering, and cleaning.
That includes no guests or family, unless they follow biosecurity protocol.

It makes sense for a business, not for a home. It would be very stressful.

You can have two separate flocks. That's not a problem. Regular cleanliness habits would be all you need unless one coop is in lock down.
If you wanted, they could even free range together as long as they get along and can get away from each other.
A second coop and run could make it much easier to bring in new birds, or divide up a flock.

 

[Echelontheory101]

I would quarantine the new birds first. Easy if you are adding chicks.
As for the appeal, just give it more thoughts. Ask for suggestions. You can probably create a nice looking set up to keep them altogether.

Correct! They would be a seperate flock in a seperate part of the property so they would be permanently quarantined from each other. Atleast for the first couple of months unless I'm adding new for future batches. But yes still mulling over how i wanna go about adding space and may just have to be ok with the yard being a little "ugly"

 

[Echelontheory101]

Bringing up "biosecurity" implies you're planning on sanitizing yourself (plus clothing shoes etc) every time you enter and leave one of the coops/runs.
You'd have to make sure there's zero cross contamination caused by you, or any equipment you use for feeding, watering, and cleaning.
That includes no guests or family, unless they follow biosecurity protocol.

It makes sense for a business, not for a home. It would be very stressful.

You can have two separate flocks. That's not a problem. Regular cleanliness habits would be all you need unless one coop is in lock down.
If you wanted, they could even free range together as long as they get along and can get away from each other.
A second coop and run could make it much easier to bring in new birds, or divide up a flock.

Cool thank you! Yeah I think I explained my question poorly, I was more checking that less than an acre of differnce wouldn't be a biosecurity problem with different soil technically but in the same yard, I dont know much about parasites etc and the distances that specific strains cover so was more confirming that my thought that they'd be exposed to the same bugs and not 2 different strains that would create problems when thinking about coccidiosis and whatnot was correct. I do this at work all yhe time too Im like can we hop on a call I'm so bad at explaining via email

 

[Yardmom]

I have two separate coops. (Standard coop and Silkie Coop) Health wise I consider them both exposed to the same things.
The two flocks free range, but do not interact. Each flock has its own territory. The coops are about 500 feet apart.

 

[Echelontheory101]

If you wanted, they could even free range together as long as they get along and can get away from each other.

Would you still suggest an introduction period like you would do with new hens or chicks before letting them do this? And I'm too much of a beginner to know enough about their behavior, if they're separated for like a month after free ranging together for whatever reason, is that a long enough time where they essentially "forget" each other and you'd have to do the reintroduction process all over again or once they know each other they know each other? Id assume the former since you have to reinstroduce members if theyve been quarantined for treatments and whatnot so that may actually already answer that question

 

[Echelontheory101]

I have two separate coops. (Standard coop and Silkie Coop) Health wise I consider them both exposed to the same things.
The two flocks free range, but do not interact. Each flock has its own territory. The coops are about 500 feet apart.

Awesome thank you! That sounds like a similar set up to what I'm thinking of doing. Do they choose not to interact or are you keeping them seperate?