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I'm a little confused on #3...if they came from a hatchery, and were brooded separately from the main flock for four weeks or so, does that count as quarantine?
Thank you threehorses, this is great info!
Yes, and no. Yes in that you will see whether or not they were carrying anything with them from the hatchery (vertical transmitted diseases).
No in that the true immune process for immunized birds (not natural immunity) is still taking place as they age. It's a technical quarantine, but that doesn't mean that they should yet be placed with older established flocks.
In theory. But there's often a reason for these age-old theories.
Just as a point of comparison, in my flocks I raise them separately from the older birds. After a month of actual quarantine, they might have distant contact (never shared ground) with the older birds. Shared ground doesn't occur until about 5 months no matter if the babies were hatched here or otherwise. At about 4 months, if they've been here the entire time, I will start "introducing them to the bugs". In other words, I will have them nearer to my adult flock but again not in the same space, not on the same ground. that way the babies are older and more able to handle illnesses because of the combination of vaccination and acquired natural immunities from being in the same general four acre airspace as my adults. But by letting them get closer to the same airspace, if they're going to get anything from my adults, I will see it if they're sick. I introduce them to each others personal 'germs' slowly. Then from there I will let them be on the same ground after a good month of being close to the same ground.
So:
Quarantine: one month; no contact
Caution care: one month of age til 3-4 months; they might come in contact with a chicken 2 feet away, but only by accident. No ground contact with older established flock.
Introductory contact: They will be moved in the same barn as other birds, but with some separation and not on the same ground.
Five months: Introduction to the same ground.
I'm a little confused on #3...if they came from a hatchery, and were brooded separately from the main flock for four weeks or so, does that count as quarantine?
Thank you threehorses, this is great info!
Yes, and no. Yes in that you will see whether or not they were carrying anything with them from the hatchery (vertical transmitted diseases).
No in that the true immune process for immunized birds (not natural immunity) is still taking place as they age. It's a technical quarantine, but that doesn't mean that they should yet be placed with older established flocks.
In theory. But there's often a reason for these age-old theories.
Just as a point of comparison, in my flocks I raise them separately from the older birds. After a month of actual quarantine, they might have distant contact (never shared ground) with the older birds. Shared ground doesn't occur until about 5 months no matter if the babies were hatched here or otherwise. At about 4 months, if they've been here the entire time, I will start "introducing them to the bugs". In other words, I will have them nearer to my adult flock but again not in the same space, not on the same ground. that way the babies are older and more able to handle illnesses because of the combination of vaccination and acquired natural immunities from being in the same general four acre airspace as my adults. But by letting them get closer to the same airspace, if they're going to get anything from my adults, I will see it if they're sick. I introduce them to each others personal 'germs' slowly. Then from there I will let them be on the same ground after a good month of being close to the same ground.
So:
Quarantine: one month; no contact
Caution care: one month of age til 3-4 months; they might come in contact with a chicken 2 feet away, but only by accident. No ground contact with older established flock.
Introductory contact: They will be moved in the same barn as other birds, but with some separation and not on the same ground.
Five months: Introduction to the same ground.
