Introducing a new chicken to my flock

[Queen Chicken]

I have several backyard chickens, all healthy. My neighbor has only one chicken and would like to give her to me so she is not alone. She is also healthy. Are there any precautions I should take (i.e. quarantine, etc.) before I introduce the new chicken to my flock?

 

[Ridgerunner]

How long has she been alone? How long since she has been in contact with any new chickens? Why is she alone, did a disease kill others?

Odds are she has been in quarantine. Would your neighbor recognize a problem better or worse than you would?

If I were happy to the answers to those questions I'd check her very closely for mites and lice. I doubt I'd get a vet to check a fecal sample. If she looks healthy I'd go for it.

 

[Queen Chicken]

How long has she been alone? How long since she has been in contact with any new chickens? Why is she alone, did a disease kill others?

Odds are she has been in quarantine. Would your neighbor recognize a problem better or worse than you would?

If I were happy to the answers to those questions I'd check her very closely for mites and lice. I doubt I'd get a vet to check a fecal sample. If she looks healthy I'd go for it.

Thanks for your answer!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Quarantine is always a good idea (plus you'll need to slowly integrate the new bird in anyhow) but if your birds have been in close quarters with each other (like free ranging in small yards) it's likely anything that they've already been exposed to anything the other side has.