My Quarantine Situation

[BackAcre]

I have one single hen remaining from my previous flock and am looking to rebuild. We are unsure if we are keeping her or culling her, and are awaiting the results of an ELISA that will tell us if she is healthy or carrying - fingers crossed for the first option! I have a 1 year old Light Sussex reserved from a rancher nearby who has had her all her life and essentially kept her in the same closed environment, and I also have 3 babies in the house. I have been reading all of the threads on quarantining and am.not sure how or if I should go about it in my situation. It would be like a 3-way quarantine and pretty well exactly the way things are now- one in the coop, three in their own area, and adding the new one. I really just want a few (4-6) hens of my own for pet/laying purposes. I prefer adult birds to chicks, I have discovered. I am wondering with those low numbers and birds already being currently isolated, is a quarantine necessary? I am also curious on how best to introduce. Introduce the two adult hens first and then playpen the young ones out there? Or introduce the young bunch to one adult hen and then add in the other adult later?

 

[aart]

and are awaiting the results of an ELISA

What all are they testing for?

Whether or not you quarantine is often up to you to decide what risks you want to take...
..and also if you can really set up and effective quarantine scenario with your facilities.

Who you integrate with whom first, second, third.....also may depend on what your setup is.

You may have seen these but will paste them in anyways.

Consider biological/medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
BYC 'quarantine' search


Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[BackAcre]

Thank you for your reply! I am testing to rule out (or diagnose) if my current hen is a carrier for ALV before we decide if she can stay or has to go before the new flock gets put out. Part of the reason for my u certainty about who to put out first -the older or the newer- is because they will all be put into a brand new run and coop, so no one actually 'owns it yet. I am just wondering how to best level the playing field amongst the younger and the older birds if there is a good way. I guess it is always different though.

 

[aart]

With a 'new to all' coop, I'd consider putting them all in there at once....
...IF there's plenty of space, things to hide under/behind/up, and multiple feed water stations.

How old are the youngest?

 

[Mrs. K]

How young are the chicks, I might put them in a day or two ahead of the others. Have some hide outs set up, some multiple feeders, and chase them around a bit, so they can figure things out. Then very close to dark, I would add the new older ones. Let them sort it out as much as possible.

Mrs K