Are Started Pullets Safe?

[Jase The Butcher]

My issue is, I worry about bringing in new illness or making the new ones sick.

Are Started pullets just as risky as bringing in regular adult birds?

A friend I have had that problem on his property, except he was getting started birds from across the country

 

[HuskerHens18]

A friend I have had that problem on his property, except he was getting started birds from across the country

The one place is 10 minutes from me and the other is 20 minutes away, but doesn't mean there still isn't risk. I just don't want to wait for day old chicks to grow, by then I'd have to separate my roosters and start a new flock. But I mean, that's part of chicken raising, so I've just got to either accept the risks or give up my once perfect flock and start new.

 

[Jase The Butcher]

The one place is 10 minutes from me and the other is 20 minutes away

I wouldn't worry about that. Shucks we get birds brought to the property all the time from places within that distance and that has never ever caused an issue

 

[HuskerHens18]

I wouldn't worry about that. Shucks we get birds brought to the property all the time from places within that distance and that has never ever caused an issue

Well that's good to know, makes me feel a bit better.

 

[Jase The Butcher]

Well that's good to know, makes me feel a bit better.

Awesomeness

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Here's my take on it...

Get the started pullets from the place you got chicks IF those birds were not the ones that died mysteriously. It may have nothing to do with your flock or conditions but genetics.

Since you know you've had coccidiosis, know that it can scar the intestines, even when treated, that leads to life long malnourishment and wasting. Heat stresses things even more. I have had some wasting deaths after a coccidiosis outbreak, and after treatment, and after apparent healing. Those affected birds were never do wells afterwards likely from intestinal injury and eventually died, though not at the same time.

So my thought is the coccidiosis and your deaths, other than the storm caused, are likely related.

Some birds genetically have more strength to fight off coccidiosis due to stronger immune systems and natural resistance. Back to your chick origination. Can you remember where you got the birds that have not been thriving? Then, order from the other guy if you can.

Then I would isolate the started pullets not so much for your flock's safety (as I agree with @rebrascora ), you really can't isolate from Marek's unless you've got a bubble tent and chicken hazmat suits...and if the one is 10 minutes away...they've likely been exposed too as it is in the area. So, personally, I wouldn't worry about Marek's.

I would be concerned about the coccidiosis. Those nastly little protozoa are opportunists. They lurk in the intestines growing exponentially with the right environmental conditions. Then they mature in the gut to release thousands of oocyts that are the seeds for the next generation. Your soil likely has high contamination, so litter and ground management will be necessary as well. If able, field rotate. If not that, then shovel out litter and replace with fresh.

Bloody diarrhea only happens with certain strains and only if it attacks the lower intestinal tract. Other strains are more insidious lurking higher in the tract robbing the bird of nutrition.

I would put your started pullets on medicated feed so that they build a slow immunity to the strain on your soil, and putting them on fresh litter in the goat shed. Watch their poo for volume and color. Coccidiosis sometimes simply creates voluminous fluffy poo and that huddled, scruffy look. Heat stress adds to it.

Once your started pullets are stabilized, looking healthy from transition stress, after about 30 days, then I would introduce them to the main flock.

At some point, you simply have to breed for resistance. While meds are very useful, quite honestly they were invented for flocks that were kept in very cramped quarters for high turnover and high profit. Long term sustainability was never the main goal.

As backyard flock owners, we can manipulate and adapt for longer term sustainability, breeding from the stronger ones, using meds and management as necessary, but always with the long term goal in mind.

Buying strong breed lines from an area close by is generally the best idea IF that was not the source of the birds that did not thrive.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[HuskerHens18]

Here's my take on it...

Get the started pullets from the place you got chicks IF those birds were not the ones that died mysteriously. It may have nothing to do with your flock or conditions but genetics.

Since you know you've had coccidiosis, know that it can scar the intestines, even when treated, that leads to life long malnourishment and wasting. Heat stresses things even more. I have had some wasting deaths after a coccidiosis outbreak, and after treatment, and after apparent healing. Those affected birds were never do wells afterwards likely from intestinal injury and eventually died, though not at the same time.

So my thought is the coccidiosis and your deaths, other than the storm caused, are likely related.

Some birds genetically have more strength to fight off coccidiosis due to stronger immune systems and natural resistance. Back to your chick origination. Can you remember where you got the birds that have not been thriving? Then, order from the other guy if you can.

Then I would isolate the started pullets not so much for your flock's safety (as I agree with @rebrascora ), you really can't isolate from Marek's unless you've got a bubble tent and chicken hazmat suits...and if the one is 10 minutes away...they've likely been exposed too as it is in the area. So, personally, I wouldn't worry about Marek's.

I would be concerned about the coccidiosis. Those nastly little protozoa are opportunists. They lurk in the intestines growing exponentially with the right environmental conditions. Then they mature in the gut to release thousands of oocyts that are the seeds for the next generation. Your soil likely has high contamination, so litter and ground management will be necessary as well. If able, field rotate. If not that, then shovel out litter and replace with fresh.

Bloody diarrhea only happens with certain strains and only if it attacks the lower intestinal tract. Other strains are more insidious lurking higher in the tract robbing the bird of nutrition.

I would put your started pullets on medicated feed so that they build a slow immunity to the strain on your soil, and putting them on fresh litter in the goat shed. Watch their poo for volume and color. Coccidiosis sometimes simply creates voluminous fluffy poo and that huddled, scruffy look. Heat stress adds to it.

Once your started pullets are stabilized, looking healthy from transition stress, after about 30 days, then I would introduce them to the main flock.

At some point, you simply have to breed for resistance. While meds are very useful, quite honestly they were invented for flocks that were kept in very cramped quarters for high turnover and high profit. Long term sustainability was never the main goal.

As backyard flock owners, we can manipulate and adapt for longer term sustainability, breeding from the stronger ones, using meds and management as necessary, but always with the long term goal in mind.

Buying strong breed lines from an area close by is generally the best idea IF that was not the source of the birds that did not thrive.

My thoughts.
LofMc

Very informative post, I learned more from you just now than I have all summer at the vet and state lab. Thank you!
I'm going to get sand, I want enough to make it several inches deep. And I'm hoping to breed more next year, I'd like to make stronger resistance.

I will have to pull out my flock booklet to see which ones really didn't thrive. Im actually thinking it was my generation from 2 years ago I purchased from TSC, but I'll have to check. My Orphingtons of all ages really suffered, which I bought from the lady 10 minutes away at different times, but the other breeds I got from her are doing perfect and some didn't even show signs of coccidiosis.

Again, thank you so much!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You are welcome. (My daughter became a vet tech working for an avian vet, then became an organic farmer, and we used my flock for her studies while she learned her trade...so I learned a few things too).

Good for you for keeping a flock book. (I keep one as well).

That can really help manage a flock for long term sustainability and wise breeding. Mark origination and any illness and treatment. Track. Breed from the best.

And litter management now to get as many of those oocysts out of your soil. They literally are a ticking time bomb.

LofmC

 

[aart]

Did necropsies at the university and nothing came back except coccidia

Did they give numbers of coccidia found....and maybe some info on the specific strain?

Not a fan of sand as bedding....wonders if coccidia oocysts survive better in sand or organic bedding? Wonders if your lab could test bedding for coccidia population numbers..and give info on local strains and eradication?

 

[rebrascora]

What do you feed your flock?..... Orpingtons can be particularly susceptible to obesity and Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome and a slight dietary imbalance over the long term can increase the risk of that and all those fluffy feathers hide the surplus fat. Just wondering if that might explain losing more of them. I'm guessing you didn't get necropsies on all 15-20 birds that died. Just thinking that there has probably been more than one thing going on in your flock. Fatty Liver is usually pretty easy to spot, so if you had necropsies on any of the Orps it should be apparent if that was the cause. Thick fatty deposits can also cause other potentially fatal reproductive ailments like egg binding and prolapse and internal laying and salpingitis even if they don't suffer Fatty Liver haemorrhaging. Just something to consider..... I appreciate that I am getting off topic here but just trying to help solve your significant losses and perhaps prevent further ones. Genetics will of course also play a part.
If you are getting started birds you would be well advised to give them a preventative round of Corid when they arrive at your property, so that if there are coccidia in your pens that they have not previously been exposed to, they will have a chance to develop some resistance rather than be suddenly overwhelmed by them.