Adding quarentined birds to an existin flock

[hunterhart1113]

I have four new birds that have been in quarentined for three weeks and I plan on adding them to my existing flock in two to three weeks. I have a few questions before I move them. One is, should I split the coop and run of the existing flock and add these birds on the other side? Also, do I need to do anything to the floor of the run before adding the new birds since it has previously been inhabited by birds. The floor is just natural dirt with barely and weeds/grass. If someone could please help me out it would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[appps]

That is exactly how I did it, just split the run and let them get used to each other for a couple of weeks. Funny thing was these were large size and my others were bantam and it ended up the existing birds were nervous of them so it was the old birds integrating into the new

 

[hunterhart1113]

Did you do anything to the ground of the run before placing the new birds In the run such as clean, plant grass seeds, till or anything to prevent disease? Thank you

 

[hunterhart1113]

Anyone with knowledge on this please respond. Thank you

 

[appps]

I didn't to be honest but because it didn't occur to me. Diseases can live in the soil for years so while a clean won't hurt its probably not going to help either a great deal either.

Hopefully some of our disease specialists can chime in with their thoughts.

 

[speckledhen]

There's not much you can do to the ground other than till in some strong hydrated lime, but after that, it would have to be soaked into the soil before they could walk on it. A less caustic alternative would be agricultural lime, but then, it isn't as strong either. Both have some limited value in killing off nasties.

I commend you for being very cautious and using quarantine procedures! They aren't perfect, of course, but it's prudent. There are some diseases that probably won't show themselves in a month, not even two months, but it's all we have at our disposal other than never bringing in new birds (which would be the way I go about trying to keep out disease).


Splitting the coop is one idea for adding them. Another is, if you free range, let them all meet up on range where there is room to run from each other. There will be pecking order drama no matter what you do.

 

[Akrnaf2]

First of all I make sure that all the chicken are vaccinated, and I would spread some lime powder and diatomaceous earth against parasites and worms in the coop and run.good luck!

 

[hunterhart1113]

Thanks for the responses. Speckled hen: do you recommend me keeping the birds in quarentined longer that a month and a half? To be honest I can probably keep then in the pen for a while but I have another shipment of two to three new birds coming and I was going to move the quarentine birds out of that pen so it could be bird less for a week or two and then add the new birds in there. Would it better if I just built another pen for the two or three new birds I am getting? Also does planting rye or sometype of grass seed in the pen help after I spread the agriculture or hydrated lime?

 

[speckledhen]

First of all I make sure that all the chicken are vaccinated, and I would spread some lime powder and diatomaceous earth against parasites and worms in the coop and run.good luck!

I'd have to say vaccinated for what? There are numerous diseases to vaccinate for and say, in the case of Marek's Disease, the vaccine that consumers have access to is nowhere near as effective as the hatchery vaccine, plus it does not keep the birds from contracting the disease, only the worst symptoms of it. So, it makes a difference which vaccine, if that matters to you. Mine are vaccinated for nothing.

Thanks for the responses. Speckled hen: do you recommend me keeping the birds in quarentined longer that a month and a half? To be honest I can probably keep then in the pen for a while but I have another shipment of two to three new birds coming and I was going to move the quarentine birds out of that pen so it could be bird less for a week or two and then add the new birds in there. Would it better if I just built another pen for the two or three new birds I am getting? Also does planting rye or sometype of grass seed in the pen help after I spread the agriculture or hydrated lime?

It's hard to say. In the case of Marek's Disease, it takes 12 weeks or more for the disease to show itself once exposed. But, then again, if the new birds are happy at your place, unstressed, they may not show symptoms even if they are carriers of something. I heard of a woman recently who quarantined a rooster she got from an NPIP breeder (she was also an NPIP certified breeder) who had no symptoms of any disease, then when added to her hens, passed on something her state is going to cull her entire flock for-she is in Indiana. So, quarantine may show you if they are carriers of something like Coryza and it allows you time to dust them for lice/mites and worm them before putting them into your flock, but it won't catch everything.

If you till in hydrated lime, watering down the ground to soak in the lime so it doesn't burn their feet is what you'd have to do. It's more caustic than agricultural lime. Not sure if grass seed will do anything to offset that. And of course, it won't be there long anyway.

 

[hunterhart1113]

I am only going to integrate one hen of my existing flock to this new flock of four birds because she is the only want I want to add to this breeding group. Should I take one of the new hens and her and put them together first and let them be together for a few weeks to see if anything happens? Also should I go ahead and bathe, worm and dust for mites to where the mites and worms have a week or two to get out of their systems?