How Do you quarantine new chickens??

[Firsttimehens1234]

Before I get any new chickens I need to know how you quarantine new chickens, what do you give them to make sure they don’t have any diseases? Do you treat them with worm medicine and like they have leg mites and other diseases so you make sure they don’t have anything

 

[aart]

BYC Medical Quarantine Article

 

[Callender Girl]

I think the article @aart is referencing pretty well covers all aspects of quarantining.

Nearly all of my "new" birds have been chicks, ducklings or goslings that I have brooded in a spare bedroom until they are several weeks old, which gives me plenty of time to assess their health.

On the rare occasion that I have acquired adult chickens from other sources, I have set up large wire dog crates in my garage for the newbies, for a bare-bones minimum of two weeks. I feed and take care of my existing flocks first so I don't spread any diseases from the new birds to the healthy flocks.

I don't medically treat any of mine unless I see signs that they have a disease or parasite. Some people routinely deworm their birds; I only do so when I see symptoms.

 

[Mrs. K]

It is a huge pain, and very difficult to do in a real back yard set up. Adding new birds can be a real wreck to your flock, so it is serious. And you can't cheat at quarantine, if you do, you may as well not do it at all. It is all about airspace, viruses and bacteria that comes in on your clothes and shoes.

However, it kind of depends on who you get them from too. I belonged to another forum for a while, and they made my blood run cold adding birds from auctions directly into their flock.

I tend to get birds from people near me, (within 60 miles, near is relative in SD) who keep chickens like me. We tend to be the only chickens in miles, and we tend to raise up our own chickens.

To me, healthy looks healthy and I have directly added birds without getting bit.

But:

• do not ever add something you feel sorry for
• do look them over for external parasites
• do not take birds from people that go to auctions or shows they can pick up all sorts of diseases.

If you would go into a state of decline if you loose your current flock, don't add birds, or quarantine extremely carefully. If you have an extremely valuable flock, I would not take in birds. In those cases, it is much safer to add chicks and wait til they grow up.

But otherwise, you have to consider the risks, and what you can really do.

Mrs K