Let's Talk About Why You Should Quarantine New Birds

[Amer]

I have lost about 10 to actual symptoms showing, but am culling most of the chickens so I can focus on ducks instead since they won't get it

You could create a Marek’s resistant strain if you keep only the birds that never show symptoms.
I had Marek’s symptoms in my flock once (unknown cause, it was not from an introduced bird) but I culled those birds and it never showed up again.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You could create a Marek’s resistant strain if you keep only the birds that never show symptoms.
I had Marek’s symptoms in my flock once (unknown cause, it was not from an introduced bird) but I culled those birds and it never showed up again.

Considering I'm not living on this property forever, it's not worth it. If I was never moving again, I would

 

[Amer]

Considering I'm not living on this property forever, it's not worth it. If I was never moving again, I would

That’s fair.

 

[Mrs. K]

Day old chicks are considered pretty safe, they just have not been alive long enough to pick things up.

Most backyard chickens are not set up to do a proper quarantine and you can’t cheat to quarantine. If you do you may as well not quarantine at all. It’s quite involved needs great deal of space you need to change your clothes. You need to separate Feed bins. These are all things necessary to do a truly safe quarantine.

 

[Amer]

Day old chicks are considered pretty safe, they just have not been alive long enough to pick things up.

Most backyard chickens are not set up to do a proper quarantine and you can’t cheat to quarantine. If you do you may as well not quarantine at all. It’s quite involved needs great deal of space you need to change your clothes. You need to separate Feed bins. These are all things necessary to do a truly safe quarantine.

As fanciers, we cannot be as fastidious as the industry, however, I believe keeping the birds separate is better than no quarantine at all.
I keep my quarantining birds in small outdoor pens or dog crates with their own waterers and since I just dump feed in from above with the cups... Yes, the cups could get pathogens on them from the very short time I dump the feed in their empty feeders... Except no it couldn't, because if a bird so much as sneezed in my direction it would be game over for it, and I doubt an asymptomatic bird is going to be spreading particles through the air.
I do not change my clothes, since I am not entering the pens, and the only way for a disease to get on my clothes is if the bird is exhibiting symptoms, in which case I would definitely change clothes after dealing with it.
I mean, in an off chance infected feather dander could spread it without symptoms but its not really comparable to tossing strange birds into the coop.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I had Marek’s symptoms in my flock once (unknown cause, it was not from an introduced bird) but I culled those birds and it never showed up again.

But are your birds still carriers?

 

[GlicksChicks]

As fanciers, we cannot be as fastidious as the industry, however, I believe keeping the birds separate is better than no quarantine at all.
I keep my quarantining birds in small outdoor pens or dog crates with their own waterers and since I just dump feed in from above with the cups... Yes, the cups could get pathogens on them from the very short time I dump the feed in their empty feeders... Except no it couldn't, because if a bird so much as sneezed in my direction it would be game over for it, and I doubt an asymptomatic bird is going to be spreading particles through the air.
I do not change my clothes, since I am not entering the pens, and the only way for a disease to get on my clothes is if the bird is exhibiting symptoms, in which case I would definitely change clothes after dealing with it.
I mean, in an off chance infected feather dander could spread it without symptoms but its not really comparable to tossing strange birds into the coop.

I do the same thing, except mine are usually inside in a closed off room that has become more of a storage room than anything. I haven't set up an outside medical/quarantine ward yet. I use seperate feeders/waterers for the chicken in quarantine and I refill their food and water with the least contact possible. And if I do touch anything, I usually end up washing my hands anyway just to be safe.

I believe any sort of quarantine is much better than just tossing a new bird close to the original flock and letting it be.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Quarantining is serious business and takes real commitment to do properly. I don't have the facilities or commitment to do all that, so I don't take in adult birds, period. I only add to my flock by purchasing day-old chicks from reputable hatcheries and (once) from a trusted breeder. Nobody who has chickens comes on to my property, so I guess in a way my entire flock is quarantined. In 13 years I have not lost a bird to a contagious sickness.

 

[Amer]

I can seem very ruthless because I will cull a bird at the drop of a hat. This is due to my middle school trauma. All of my young birds were sickening thanks to a respiratory disease brought in by poor biosecurity. That is how I learned how to off a chicken, out of necessity to save the rest of the flock.

But are your birds still carriers?

Yes and no. My chickens do not have the virulent strain of Mareks that causes paralysis.That was years ago and it was a group of young birds. Since I culled them as soon as the disease reared its head it didn't spread to the rest of the flock. But mind you, that was the virulent, dangerous strain of Mareks.
Most chicken flocks are believed to have mild strain of Mareks:
"Marek's disease is one of the most ubiquitous avian infections; it is identified in chicken flocks worldwide. Every flock, except for those maintained under strict pathogen-free conditions, is presumed to be infected."
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/neoplasms-in-poultry/marek-s-disease-in-poultry
"Marek’s Disease is a viral tumor-causing disease of chickens. Marek’s is distributed worldwide and isso common that if you have birds, they have been exposed to Marek’s, regardless of whether they show symptoms or not."
"Prevention:
• Breed for resistance.
• Good sanitation and ventilation.
• Brood chicks separately from adults until 5 months of age.
• Keep turkeys with chickens (this may help the chickens with Marek’s, but can lead to black head disease in the turkeys).
• Vaccinate all chicks at 1 day old; keep chicks from exposure until immunity has developed, about 7 days.
Treatment: None. Cull affected birds. Some birds develop temporary paralysis that disappears after 1-2 days. They appear to return to normal, but frequently die from internal tumors a short time later"
https://animalscience-cahnr.media.u...96/2022/06/articlesByFaculty_2_1472960837.pdf
I read an interesting article that I really wish I could refind but it had a good perspective on Mareks. First of all, not promoting the existence of a virulent strain, and secondly, promoting resistance in your birds. If there are any birds with Marek's symptoms they must be culled. This selects against the virulent strain of Mareks and against chickens with weak Marek's resistance.

 

[Amer]

Quarantining is serious business and takes real commitment to do properly. I don't have the facilities or commitment to do all that, so I don't take in adult birds, period. I only add to my flock by purchasing day-old chicks from reputable hatcheries and (once) from a trusted breeder. Nobody who has chickens comes on to my property, so I guess in a way my entire flock is quarantined. In 13 years I have not lost a bird to a contagious sickness.

That is another way to do it. There are plenty of chicken owners who raise backyard flocks who simply do not introduce adult birds to their flocks and I consider those to be the safest and most secure type of flock.