Can someone clarify "closed flock" to me?

[Chickenmaven]

I've met people who are at every swap meet & who buy a trio here-and-there, all the time. I think this is the very definition of an open & dangerous flock policy.

 

[ranchhand]

I don't have a "closed flock", per se, but any new birds get a rigid 30+ day quarantine. They don't even share the air if I can help it! Okay, not really, but I keep several hundred yards between them.

I no longer buy chicks or adults- I hatch them, so the quarantine is even longer now.

 

[shelleyb1969]

I just think it's not honest to say you have a closed flock, and yet take in birds from others to either re-home or keep for yourself. If chickens come on your property, for ANY length of time, you DO NOT have a closed flock...period.

 

[speckledhen]

There are varying degrees of "closed", IMO. I started with birds from Ideal, via the feedstore, bought the day they arrived and have purchased a handful of others the same way, though not lately.
I bought one rooster, quarantined for 5 weeks. Then I hatched birds from eggs acquired from very reputable breeders on BYC. I was given an 8-wk-old pullet by a friend about a year ago, who hatched her from eggs from a breeder and who has a clean flock herself. She was quarantined for a month as well. No other birds have ever been brought here that did not hatch here. And after a bird leaves this property, it cannot return. I do not go to auctions/swaps and I will never buy a started bird from an individual. I consider my flock a closed flock at this point.

 

[CATRAY44]

I would think, as Speckledhen does, that there are different ideas about it. I imagine at some point you have to buy new stock and quarantine them. At the same time, you don't let every tom, dick and harry bring birds to your place. And you would probably buy new stock from people who practice the highest standards of animal husbandry.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
shelley, at some point, it may be necessary to bring in a bird. Heck, you have to eventually get birds somewhere from outside unless you are willing to take the time/effort/recordkeeping to keep it "all in the family". I disagree with your last statement in the sense that I have a closed flock now, but at one time, I did purchase one rooster, then took a gift from a trusted friend. And I may buy hatching eggs again some day in order to continue a breeding program, but I believe that I can still say my flock is closed, IMO, because no birds/chicks will be brought here again, from a hatchery or otherwise. It's all a matter of perspective, m'dear. And I agree with what Catray said.

 

[greathorse]

I think we have a small semantic differnce here. If I understand poulet correctly, one could have a closed flock of one breed, RIR for example and have another breed coming and going willy nilly with no consideration for bio security and the RIR would be a closed flock. Others seem to consider it more of a bio security thing.

It is my understanding that in cattle if you speak of a closed herd it means that the genetics all trace back to starter stock.

By the way Speckled I think you may be most wise, most well spoken, to the point, person on this site. I really enjoy your posts. In this case I think you and Poulet are sort of talking about two different issues.

It seems in the case of birds it might be wise to refer to a flock as gentically closed flock, and some other descriptor that would indicate no live fowl have come aboard but eggs may be used from other breeders.

Not at all sure I have made any sense here, but the term itself confuses me sometimes as well.

 

[MissPrissy]

My BBS orpington flock is closed. No birds in unless I hatch them. The barn is off limits completely as are the runs to anyone who comes to my house for any reason. Several who have been here will verify that. We also lock down the geese and ducks from foraging when outsiders are on the property.

That however does not mean that should an opportunity arise to take possession of a coveted flock of another breed that I won't bring them in and set them up in separate facilities. If Jody told me to come load up her Lav orps I would be in Pa so fast you would see a blazing trail.

I have facility to contain them and practise heavy biosecurity here. As a state tester NPIP I have to err on the side of caution but that does not mean I can't have other flocks of chickens. Right now I have 4 flocks. That may or may not change.

At the moment my property is closed. No living birds coming in for any reason. I hatch everything that lives here.

Should there come a time when I may need to bring in a more diverse genetics in the form of a living bird it will be with caution.

Closed flock can be interpreted with extreme biosecurity caution or it can be a less rigid term. That is up to the flock(s) owner and no one else.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Y'all are completely missing the point, and talking about TWO very different things.

Closed Flock (Health) - property off limits, no new birds in or out, quarantine of any new breeding stock.

Closed Flock (Breeding) - linebreeding, same parent stock, only used birds hatched from your own flock, do not bring in other breeding stock from other 'lines."


One meaning has absolutely nothing to do with the other. And I've known people who have had 'closed BREEDING flocks' of Silkies for nearly 20 years without bringing in new blood.

So when you speak about 'closed flock' be sure and differentiate between which definition you are using. One could have a 'closed flock' for biosecurity reasons, but surely use breeding stock from other lines. One could also have a 'closed flock' for breeding, but definitely be bringing in other birds of different breeds that are not associated with the 'closed breeding program.'

Is that a little easier to understand?

 

[KrisRose]

Now I am confused. A closed flock is defined by the flock owner and not a general agree between chicken people?? So when someone says their flock is closed it could mean closed to any bird that is not genetically compatible with their flock, or closed in a biosecurity way in that they only hatch their own eggs? And any version of this inbetween??
That sounds sarcastic and it is not meant to be.
I felt that there was more or less an agreed apon definition that a closed flock meant hatching eggs -whether your own or from a reliable source. So if I wish to buy birds from someone who states they have a closed flock then I should first get clarification on what that really means?
I personally have, in my opinion, an open flock. More so then it should be. I would like to be a little more restrictive but I feel bad for chickens that have not been properly cared for. I toke a chance on a hen that needed a home. Quarantined her for 3 weeks in my basement and saw no health issues which, frankly, surprized me considering the place she came from. She has been a good layer and the only problem I've had is incorporating her into the flock. Its so much easier to introduce the teenagers that a full grow hen

.
My other addictions have been chicks and a few teenagers from reliable sources. Since this hen was introduced a year ago I could state that I now have a closed flock?

Sorry Poulets- read your post after I submitted mine. Yes- that is clearer.