Do I need to Quarantine chicks?

[SundownWaterfowl]

I am going to be getting some 3-4 week old silkie chicks.

I have 7 silkie chicks that are in the same age range.

Do I need to quarantine the chicks when they come, or can I stick them right in with my chicks?

 

[Mrs MIA]

What kind of health are they in? What were their living conditions?
If they are healthy, and have been kept in a brooder, you're probably safe.
When in doubt, though, quarantine.

 

[M@M@2four]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

What kind of health are they in? What were their living conditions?
If they are healthy, and have been kept in a brooder, you're probably safe.
When in doubt, though, quarantine.

I agree...I would just quarantine them for a little bit and when you feel comfortable with putting them in, then do it. I had a lady buy from me at the beginning of the spring--all my chicks and chickens are healthy. She went, "chicken crazy" and went to an auction a few weeks later. Brought back ones that were about the same age as the ones I sold her. She just stuck them in cause they seemed healthy. Wouldn't you know I got an e-mail about a month later that the chickens she bought from the auction were sick...and got everything in her flock sick. She e-mailed me all distressed and of course kicking herself....

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

How long would you reccommend to quarantine them for? Would a week be fine?

 

[M@M@2four]

I think a week is fine. At that point, check their noses and eyes for sickness. If they're young, you probably won't need to dust them for mites, but you never know. I got some young silkies from a very well known breeder that still ended up having a bad case of mites. You just don't want that infesting your existing flock! I'd love to see pics!

Gotta love those little fluff balls!

 

[pips&peeps]

If you are getting older chicks, then I would recommend quarantine for 4-6 weeks as you do not know what they could be exposed to.

Some diseases can take a while to rear their ugly heads and a seller may not even know that they have it when they sell birds....

For example, Marek's can take 4-6 weeks for symptoms to appear.

ETA: I am in not saying that this person has disease on her farm, it's just what I would do no matter whom I purchased chicks from.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

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[SundownWaterfowl]

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[Farmer Kitty]

I got 7 adolescents given to me this last summer. I knew the people and where the chicks had been kept. They have no other chickens or birds and no one in their immediate vacinity have any. I still quarentined them for 30 days. Better safe than sorry. Gumpsgirl could tell you a real horror story about what she is going through with her flock due to not quarentining them.

 

[keljonma]

We always quarantine for 30 days. ALWAYS. Even if we get day old chicks and put them under one of our mama hens. Mama hen and the chicks have no access to the rest of the flock for 30 days.