Our local animal shelter has many animals available including ducks and chickens and occasionally goats even. I adopted my baby-oops, I mean my dog there and couldn't be more pleased. I assume though with worries about chicken diseases that I should be more careful when adding to my feathered family. I could probably arrange something to quarantine them (for how long?). Would you consider adopting a bird from the shelter? I don't know what they do if the birds have been there too long. Oh, and if it matters it's $10 a bird.
I would be as cautious about a shelter chicken as I would be about an auction chicken. The biosecurity and the quarantine would be extreme and lengthy. I am being honest, here. People who have seemingly healthy flocks can harbor some nasty bugs. I would have to assume that birds that were handed over did not have the best of care. Of, course, they deserve a new, caring home. If I were to bring home shelter birds, I would only do so if I could house them on the other side of my property. I'd wait at least 60 days to integrate them, if at all.
I'm with Chickenmaven on this one. I would be very hesitant to bring in rescue chickens and if I did it would be only after a long quarantine. There's just so much risk involved with birds. If a disease gets brought in it's usually devastating or fatal for your chickens.
They could be just fine, they aren't necessarily mistreated or surrendered birds, sometimes they're just runaways or lost chickens. They could be young & healthy. But new unknown chickens can pose a risk to your established flock, so I wouldn't feel guilty if I couldn't adopt every available chicken that finds itself in the pound. I'd only do it if I had the room Chickenmaven described to isolate & quarantine them, the time & inclination to care for another separate pen of chickens for 30-60 days, and the $10 apiece to bail them out of the pound. Which isn't such a bad price compared to our local Humane Society shelter, I saw chickens there that would cost $50 to release! It made the decision to leave them there extremely easy!
There's all manner of reasons why a chicken would end up in a shelter. Easter chicks in an apartment... free range at a hoarder's house... abandonment... surrender... someone who is not legally allowed to own any animal after an abuse case... but whether they're sick or not is a whole other thing. I'm willing to bet though the majority come from people who aren't zoned to have them and they have no idea what to do with them. Which means they prolly had no idea about chicken care... Atleast a 30 day quarentine. Definately check for mites or treat them as if they do have them and handle them with gloves on, ect. How do they jail chickens anyway? My county has to have them fostered.
Quote:I'm not sure how they do it, but I think it's just in small cages outside. I haven't gone there to see it (or I'd end up emptying the place of EVERY animal) but I've seen cages.
