New Chickens

[Livia Ammon]

Hey all! I just got 4 new 2 yo hens from a woman who couldn’t take care of them any longer. They are a pair of white leghorns, a Barnie and an EE/Americauna.
Usually when I get new chickens I get chicks, so I din’t know much about quarantine procedures. I also don’t know what to check for so that I can make sure they’re healthy before I integrate them to the rest of my flock. Any insights would be helpful!

 

[Yardfulla poopers]

My first thought is they need more room. If the four are kept in that small pen, they will start to feather pick/cannibalize. If that's just what you brought them home in but they have a separate coop, all is well.

Things to check for include mites/lice, worms, any signs of respiratory issues (sneezing, wheezing, watery eyes or nares), normal or abnormal poop, etc.

 

[Cheekychook12]

Hey all! I just got 4 new 2 yo hens from a woman who couldn’t take care of them any longer. They are a pair of white leghorns, a Barnie and an EE/Americauna.
Usually when I get new chickens I get chicks, so I din’t know much about quarantine procedures. I also don’t know what to check for so that I can make sure they’re healthy before I integrate them to the rest of my flock. Any insights would be helpful!

Usually quarantine time is around two weeks to a month, they do need a bigger crate for that amount of time

 

[Livia Ammon]

I got them into a larger stall in my barn. It’s currently unoccupied because it’s kind of dark and stores bags of feed. I converted the cage into a sheltered place using a feed bag on top and some hay inside. I’m getting them some water in a dog bowl and some food in a sort of tray. I’ll probably set up a larger tray as a dust bath tomorrow. The only real concern I have is the darkness and the fact that they’ll probably get out, as the wall is about 6’ with an old grain bin that is 4’ high right next to it. I can’t block the bin because the ladder that goes into the hayloft is in it. The only stall they’ll get u to is the grain stall, and it’s just got some straw bales and some bags of open grain though. Is this a problem?

 

[Livia Ammon]

BTW, It’s a bit dusty in the photos, but the area is well ventilated and about 30s after I took those the air cleared back to normal.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The only stall they’ll get u to is the grain stall, and it’s just got some straw bales and some bags of open grain though. Is this a problem?

Possibly - are those bags of grain to feed the rest of your flock? if so having the new birds next to them is spreading their dander onto those feed bags.

 

[Livia Ammon]

Possibly - are those bags of grain to feed the rest of your flock? if so having the new birds next to them is spreading their dander onto those feed bags.

No, that grain is for our sheep and cows. It is possible that we will someday feed them some, but unlikely. We have our chicken grain inside our house.

 

[Mrs. K]

Real quarantine is hard to do in most backyard flocks, and if you don't do it real well, you may as well not do it at all. There are real risks when adding adult birds to your flock. But there are circumstances that can reduce the risk.

If the people you got the birds from has a stable flock in which there have not been new birds added for some time, except for chicks. Then really they have been separated from your birds and not gotten sick. On the other hand, if those people buy and sell birds at poultry auctions, well God only knows what they have been exposed to. Those birds need to be much more strictly kept apart from your birds.

Some people have been known to have a canary bird. You put one of your birds in with the new birds. She will have to be in a cage so they don't attack her, but if she does not get sick, then your others probably won't either.

Personally I have added birds many times, and always got lucky. Do not take any bird you feel sorry for, do examine them closely for parasites. Do a fecal float for worms. And good luck.

Mrs K

 

[Livia Ammon]

Real quarantine is hard to do in most backyard flocks, and if you don't do it real well, you may as well not do it at all. There are real risks when adding adult birds to your flock. But there are circumstances that can reduce the risk.

If the people you got the birds from has a stable flock in which there have not been new birds added for some time, except for chicks. Then really they have been separated from your birds and not gotten sick. On the other hand, if those people buy and sell birds at poultry auctions, well God only knows what they have been exposed to. Those birds need to be much more strictly kept apart from your birds.

Some people have been known to have a canary bird. You put one of your birds in with the new birds. She will have to be in a cage so they don't attack her, but if she does not get sick, then your others probably won't either.

Personally I have added birds many times, and always got lucky. Do not take any bird you feel sorry for, do examine them closely for parasites. Do a fecal float for worms. And good luck.

Mrs K

Ok, thanks for the advice and I will try my best. Luckily, they have been a private flock for a long time and look healthy. I’ll give them a thorough look over after I’m done with my studies.

 

[Livia Ammon]

Ok, I did an examination on the Barnevelder, and I found some sort of lice or mite infestation. They were a tan-beige color, similar to her skin, and directly under her vent. Her vent was lightly scabbed and she had a small scab on her comb. I plan on treating with 1.5 ml of ivermectin cattle drench on the backs of all of them. I asssume they all have this problem. I have yet to do a fecal float, but I will soon.