I didn't properly quarantine...what can I do?

[Honeybadger68]

Hi BYC peeps. I'll cut to the chase: I had two hens and one suddenly died a couple of weeks ago. Worried about my BO, Flo, being lonely, I bought two pullets a few days later and quarantined them in their own run; one died a couple of days later but the other has been fine for about 10 days now. Four days ago I got three more pullets from an organic farm and added them in to the second run with the pullet I acquired a week earlier. I've been adding vitamins/electrolytes and even ran Sulmet (sulfamethazine sodium 12.5%) in everyone's drinking water for a few days (changing daily). This evening I decided to let Flo and the new pullets free range for about an hour under close supervision. It went relatively well, then tonight I decided to read up on integrating chickens (something i clearly should have done long ago) and have been reading that I should have quarantined far apart for 30-45 days!!! Oh no! Given it's too late to do this correctly, is there anything I can/should do to mitigate the chance of potential infection from the new pullets? Should I take everyone to an avian vet for evaluation/treatment? Are there any treatments i can do myself? Or just hope for the best? Any advice is appreciated!!

 

[fargosmom]

I know you'll get a lot of answers. My first thought is don't panic, and don't beat yourself up. Sometimes our hearts get ahead of our heads.

At this point, if I were you, I would start quarantine from scratch and cross your fingers for your resident hen. Chances are you might get away with it if their interaction was limited, if you're lucky. But in any event, introducing new birds to existing ones is stressful for all, which can make underlying health problems more challenging for birds that would otherwise be stable. If you get the 30 days under your belt all birds will be settled in your care, used to your routine and less stressed, and you can gradually introduce them to one another, again with an eye toward minimizing stress. No sense treating for disease you don't know is there - wait till you see any symptoms and then act appropriately.
Hang in there, and spoil them all in the meantime - just separately.

p.s.

 

[Honeybadger68]

Thanks FM. I appreciate the welcome and encouragement! I had set up the "quarantine run" just a few feet from Flo's coop, which apparently isn't ideal, either. Will look to relocate it to another part of my backyard today and keep the two environments separated for at least another 30 days (shade is at a bit of a premium though...I live in central Texas and we're already having one of the hottest years on record). I'll also read up on common maladies in hopes of recognizing warning signs of illnesses should any pop up. Everyone seems happy and healthy this morning, but I know illnesses can take time to manifest. I definitely don't want to lose any of them, but particularly my Flo!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
2x

 

[7L Farm]

I've done it twice & got lucky. It worried me to know end. I'll never do it again. I listened to the people who gave me the birds telling me they were healthy. I guess the above advice is about the only choice you have. Good Luck!!

 

[NYREDS]

I can't tell you what you need to do, you should do whatever makes you feel the most comforable.
That said, here's what I've always done in 49+ years of raising several thousand chickens. Nothing. On those occasions when I've bought new birds they have gone directly into to coops with existing stock. never had a problem of any sort. I don't seperate birds when returning from a show either, everybody goes right back where they were.
Based on my experience it would be hard to convince me that quarantining is necessary.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Bill, you haven't read enough in the Diseases section, buddy. You buy from reputable breeders like yourself who use a hatchet to "treat" respiratory illness. Most do not and pay the consequences.

 

[7L Farm]

Like I said I got lucky twice . Don't put your flock in jeopardy its not worth it.

 

[speckledhen]

This situation is why you quarantine: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=523793

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Bill, you haven't read enough in the Diseases section, buddy. You buy from reputable breeders like yourself who use a hatchet to "treat" respiratory illness. Most do not and pay the consequences.

2x and you do cull out the weak and the sickest. And it always helps to get it from reputable breeders because they want diseased free flocks too and they do care about the birds you are getting from them.