Making sure stray chicken won't infect my flock

[StormySkye]

So, I have eleven chickens currently, and a friend of the family has had a stray chicken wandering around her yard. My goal is to safely capture said chicken and bring her home with me. I want to make sure that she is not diseased, do I need to take her to a vet or is there another way? Does she need to be quarantined first, and if so, what signs do I look for? Thanks!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Quarantine. ALWAYS Quarantine. Any time new creatures are potentially joining the flock.

Separate facilities. It does almost no good to simply cage a questionable bird inside one's existing run. My Q facilities are about 200' from my main run - not enough to prevent mosquito born fowl pox transmission, but enough for everything else. Most people don't have that kind of space, so position them as far apart as you can, and always go from your healthy flock to the new bird when feeding, watering, etc. Because you aren't likely to keep two separate sets of shoes, overalls, etc.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would not take in a stray chicken in case she may be a carrier of something. If you do insist on that, I would check her out away from the flock, looking her over for evidence of lice or mites, worm her, look for any eye bubbles or drainage, any vent damage or messiness, and check her crop. Is her tail up or down. If she passes the exam, then you could think about quarantining her for several weeks or a month to make sure no symptoms show up. Then you will need to put her either in a wire dog crate or on the other side of a fence for a weeks or so, for her to get familiar with all of the chickens so she won be attacked. If you have a picture of her, please post one.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

/edit
and because of my NPIP certification, poultry from outside my flock don't enter the property and live. My quarantine facilites are for buying from another NPIP cert facility - like a hatchery buy.

Eggcessive's suggestion of a month is what i use, well, a three to six weeks. Then begins integration.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

If you do go to check on her definitely wear old shoes you won't wear around your flock.

 

[Tonyroo]

To me that's high risk, I will never bring in a stray chicken. It's to easy for diseases to spread among birds. Think carefully before you decide to do that.