New hens vs Old Flock

[Lacrystol]

I just got quit a few hens with a rooster, I have them in a separate cage right now. These guys are used to being free range, however, should I free range them? I have my flock right now free ranging what are the risk of letting my new flock free to be with my old flock? Or should I keep my new flock separated from my old flock? If so for how long?

 

[Beekissed]

Most people would tell you to quarantine them separately for a month but some folks don't have the facilities to do that. If you do, it's wise advice. If you don't, just grit your teeth and hope for the best....

To integrate flocks, I usually keep them separate but visual to each other for a few days and then free range them. By the end of the day they are acclimated and they only have the roosting order to figure out...I've never had any fights or fussing by doing it this way.

 

[Lacrystol]

A month, wow that's a long time, I thought for sure you would say maybe 2 weeks but a month. Dang....

 

[Lacrystol]

Even if some of them are less then a year old??

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quarantine is usually recommended for at least a month here on BYC (I have read). However, there are diseases that can render a chicken an asymptomatic carrier, and then they can still pass your quarantine but get your other chickens sick.

Some folks even say to then place one of your old chickens in after a month with the new chickens to see if he or she gets sick. The bad thing about some of the respiratory diseases is that they keep getting sick over and over with it...never cured but may seem healthy for a time.

To each their own...but this is what I have read as commonly given advice here. You can do a search for "quarantine" to get more threads to read on it if you wish.

 

[Beekissed]

They say it gives time for any symptoms to appear or be noticed that may be already in your newcomers before you introduce them into your flock. I made a mistake of taking in some newbies right away because they appeared very healthy....they gave my flock scale mites and I had a devil of a time getting the right thing to clear those up.

 

[Lacrystol]

Ok i have another question, these new chickens came from a BYC member, should the risk still be taken?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
The thing is that the chickens might have just gotten sick and the person might not even know about it. Wild birds carry diseases/mites/lice too.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep. If you are afraid of illnesses in your flocks, then, yes.

 

[Lacrystol]

Yes, I'm afraid of infecting my flock, so I will keep them separated... Thank you.