All the quarantine questions!

[HobbyHouse]

I've searched a bit and I cant seem to find ideas on HOW people quarantine.

We are getting 2 new laying chickens to integrate with my own.
I currently have 12.
They are coming from a group of 5 from my MIL neighbor.

We will be quarantining.

What I plan on putting them(large dog crate) in won't have a spot for them to roost at night will they be fine for the month?
If the crate is in the garage at night do I need to worry about "smells" affecting them?
I'd rather not have them in my house, the chicks were enough.

I will have to move them out everyday into their tiny modified run, since they are laying do I need to set a nest box in the run and/or the night crate?

I'm so at a loss. This is my first flock and my first time adding new so any advice will be appreciated.

 

[nuthatched]

They likely won't lay from the stress of moving.
You can add a roost to the dog crate.
Unless you regularly spill gas in your garage, smells/fumes wont be a problem .
Make sure their run is the other side of the house or as far as you can get.
Wash hands.

 

[Mrs. K]

It is very difficult to do a proper quarantine, and if you don't do it properly, you may as well not do it at all.

If you have a very valuable flock or would go into a state of decline if you loose your original birds, you should not add adult birds to your flock. Adding day old chicks is a better deal.

If you have been to your MIL's house, and visited the neighbors chickens, and later tended your own birds, or even just visit often, quarantine can already be broken.

Do not take anything you feel sorry for. And do examine the birds carefully for signs of parasites. If they have them, can they be treated where they are now, before you bring them home?

If your MIL neighbor goes to swap meets or chicken shows, adding birds frequently, that greatly increases their exposure to possible diseases. But if your MIL friend, just got chicks, raised them up, have never had any issues with them, does not have neighbors with sick birds, well the chances of them being carriers of a terrible disease is drastically reduced.

If you are worried about it, you could take one of your birds over to her run/ coop - and see is that bird gets sick from being exposed to her birds.

But to do quarantine, they cannot share an airspace, and one should change their clothes and shoes between caring for one flock and the second flock. So really if you keep them in the garage, when you go out to care for your original flock, you should not go through the garage.

30 feet distance apart, 30 days, different feed bins, different clothes and shoes are the basic rules to quarantining chickens. For some reason I thought it was much farther apart - so you should check some other references.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

30 feet distance apart, 30 days, different feed bins, different clothes and shoes are the basic rules to quarantining chickens. For some reason I thought it was much farther apart

Yeah, me too. Where did you get the 30 feet? I'd like to read that myself to see what reasoning they give.

Fowl pox can be spread by mosquitoes. Marek's can be spread by the wind by blowing dander around (flakes of dried skin and fluff from down or feathers). Just two examples. I'd think either of those could travel more than 30 feet.

I've searched a bit and I cant seem to find ideas on HOW people quarantine.

Diseases and parasites can be spread by then sharing food or water bowls, by pecking on ground where another pooped, or by carriers like songbirds, grasshoppers or other bugs. You can spread certain things on your clothing, especially your shoes. The more you separate them the more things you protect them against but it is really hard to protect them against anything or everything.

So spread them out as much as you can or keep them in safe buildings. Have different food storage and water sources and do not use the same containers to carry food or water. Change clothes, at least shoes, when going from one to the other. Most of us cannot be perfect in everything but do the best you can and you will at least protect them against many things.

Good luck!

 

[aart]

Here's a pretty good article:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article

 

[HobbyHouse]

It is very difficult to do a proper quarantine, and if you don't do it properly, you may as well not do it at all.

If you have a very valuable flock or would go into a state of decline if you loose your original birds, you should not add adult birds to your flock. Adding day old chicks is a better deal.

If you have been to your MIL's house, and visited the neighbors chickens, and later tended your own birds, or even just visit often, quarantine can already be broken.

Do not take anything you feel sorry for. And do examine the birds carefully for signs of parasites. If they have them, can they be treated where they are now, before you bring them home?

If your MIL neighbor goes to swap meets or chicken shows, adding birds frequently, that greatly increases their exposure to possible diseases. But if your MIL friend, just got chicks, raised them up, have never had any issues with them, does not have neighbors with sick birds, well the chances of them being carriers of a terrible disease is drastically reduced.

If you are worried about it, you could take one of your birds over to her run/ coop - and see is that bird gets sick from being exposed to her birds.

But to do quarantine, they cannot share an airspace, and one should change their clothes and shoes between caring for one flock and the second flock. So really if you keep them in the garage, when you go out to care for your original flock, you should not go through the garage.

30 feet distance apart, 30 days, different feed bins, different clothes and shoes are the basic rules to quarantining chickens. For some reason I thought it was much farther apart - so you should check some other references.

Mrs K

Thanks for your reply.
My MIL lives in a different city so there has been zero contact of any kind.
She has some chicken experience from eons ago and can see they are healthy as far as looks go. Prior to my getting birds I have been to his property and see the way he raises his chickens and it's all on the up and up. He is downsizing from 5 birds to 3(only 2 laying) and those birds haven't had any contact with anything. He's raised them from chicks.
So in theory, I think we will be OK but I am more comfortable taking some extra precautions.

My current flock will be behind my house at the back of the property and the new chickens would be in the front of the house, at least 2.5 acres away.

All feed etc will be seperate.
Good note about the clothing.

I'll have to instill some solid rules for my kids and hubby.

I do have a possible sacrifice though...


Thank again for you comment! It's greatly appreciated

 

[Mrs. K]

Yeah, me too. Where did you get the 30 feet? I'd like to read that myself to see what reasoning they give.

Ok, I wondered - I just googled distance for chicken quarantine, and posted the 30 feet, but I was expecting it to be much more, so after RidgeRunner asked, I looked again

Second site said 36 feet or 12 yards.

Then there was a site that said 300 feet from Back yard Chickens, which to be honest was the number I was thinking when I 'checked'.

And the article that AArt recommends 100 feet. hmmm seems like this is a fact once should be able to find and know.

ok, Delaware State University says 30 feet minimum, but more is better.

Agriculture Victoria says 10 meters, which is about 33 feet.

Well that is rather funny. I would have thought there was more consensus in this. Truthfully, I thought it was 300 feet. But it looks like that is excessive.

Mrs K