Introducing A Roo To My Flock

[azhenhouse]

I will be getting a Rooster this weekend to add to my eight month old flock of hens and need some advice. How long should I quarantine him for? What should I be watching for? I would really hate to make my healthy hens sick

by bringing him into the picture. Thx

 

[chuckzoo]

Most say to quantine for 30 days. When you get him I would look him over very thoroughly. Look for any mites or parasites. As a preventative measure I would also worm him if he hasn't been wormed already.

Remember there can also be latent disease that you can not see that your flock may not be immune to. Watch him very closely before and after you introduce him to your flock as well as watching them to see if they are acting any differently.

Best wishes and may you have lots of little chicks.

 

[Judy]

The closest to a guarantee you will get is to quarantine him for 3-4 weeks then choose a "sacrifice" chicken from your flock and pen them together for a few more weeks. This way if he is carrying something that doesn't show up in the first quarantine, you will hopefully see it in your own chicken in the next few weeks. May seem a bit mean, but it beats having your whole flock get sick.