"No need to quarantine?" New chickens

[hartsockchicks]

I came home to find 2 neighbor dogs in my yard. They had killed 2 chickens and bit one of the rabbits. Plus did a lot of damage to the rabbit cages.

The dog owner spoke to a local chicken hobby farmer who states we can have 2 of his chickens and there is no need to quarantine them "they can go straight into our flock and they will start laying eggs that day." I have seen the condition of his small chicken operation and don't feel comfortable with his chickens coming to my home.

I have done a lot of research and read a lot of books before raising our own chickens. I have read many recommendations on the need to quarantine and why. I feel comfortable to say this is what I would do before bringing more chickens into my flock.

I would like to hear from others how they feel about bringing new chickens into there flock?
Do you quarantine or not?

 

[cafarmgirl]

I think you've already answered your own question! I would under no circumstances ever bring in someone else's birds to my flock and not quarantine them! And for a good 4 weeks at least. And to be honest, anyone who tells you not to quarantine is a fool! It only takes one bird who looks perfectly healthy to turn out to be a carrier of some nasty disease and then you have it in your whole flock in the blink of an eye. Then you get to decide, do I want to try to find out what the heck this is and treat it symptomatically, knowing my birds will now be carriers? Or do I cull all of them and start over? Anyone who has been down that road knows what a crummy situation that is.

 

[enola]

There a several people on this site that could tell you how sick their chickens got when they brought new chickens home and plopped them right in the hen house.

 

[mtngirl35]

I think you've already answered your own question! I would under no circumstances ever bring in someone else's birds to my flock and not quarantine them! And for a good 4 weeks at least. And to be honest, anyone who tells you not to quarantine is a fool! It only takes one bird who looks perfectly healthy to turn out to be a carrier of some nasty disease and then you have it in your whole flock in the blink of an eye. Then you get to decide, do I want to try to find out what the heck this is and treat it symptomatically, knowing my birds will now be carriers? Or do I cull all of them and start over? Anyone who has been down that road knows what a crummy situation that is.

I couldn't agree more!! ALWAYS QUARANTINE!! You just never know. Carriers of disease may not show symptoms. If my Momma gave me chickens to add to my flock I would STILL quarantine. And believe me, I trust my Momma. I love my chickens and I would feel so guilty if I didn't do all I could to protect them.

 

[fshinggrl]

Sorry for your loss with the dogs.

 

[hartsockchicks]

Thanks everyone for your reply's. It was really sad to come home to 2 of my best Easter eggers being attacked by neighbor dogs. They where great layers and they laid green and light tan eggs daily. Super sweet chickens!

The neighbor doesn't understand that you can't just replace these chickens with any chicken.

 

[mtngirl35]

Thanks everyone for your reply's. It was really sad to come home to 2 of my best Easter eggers being attacked by neighbor dogs. They where great layers and they laid green and light tan eggs daily. Super sweet chickens!

The neighbor doesn't understand that you can't just replace these chickens with any chicken.

Where I live, if someone's dog kills one of my chickens, all they legally have to do is pay me $10. It may buy a new chicken but it nowhere near covers the grief it would cause me to lose a chicken I raised from an egg and love dearly. I am sorry for your loss.

 

[speckledhen]

If you check out my signature line for a stickied thread I started a few years ago, you'll see that I would never put any bird in my flock without an extended quarantine. I actually go further and don't add any started birds.

I snickered at the "they'll start laying eggs the same day" remark he made. Yeah, right. Maybe they will, maybe they'll wait a month. Spoken like most of those empty guarantees.

 

[enola]

I built a quarantine cage with a wire floor so all droppings fall through to the ground. I have a 5 gallon waterer and 5 gallon feeder in the coop so I don't have to handle the new chickens more than once a week. I check them every evening. If I have to handle anything in the cage, I change my clothes and shower. After 4 weeks, I put a chicken from the butcher pen in with the new chickens. They spend 4 weeks together and if no chickens get sick, the new chickens go in the chicken house. If any of the chickens get sick, they all get culled. I don't care how cute they are or how much they cost.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well now my first concern would be with those dogs.

I'd do whatever I had to, to make sure he understood that if his dogs came to my place again they would NOT be coming home.

As for quarantine? I'm tired right now and not in a good mood, I'll admit.

I've been on BYC and read so much stuff about chicken keeping I'm sick to death. Some "experts" say add heat, some say don't. Some say worm, some say don't. Now we've got quarantine or don't. etc. etc.

Me? I'd tell him to keep his chickens!

In my experience? I've gotten chicks, eggs and birds from the "experts" and quite frankly I've had my share of trouble. I don't give a hoot if you are an "expert". I don't care if you write a blog, book or an article, show birds and have a room full of trophies.

I QUARANTINE!

Though my rule of thumb is I don't take in birds, I breed/hatch my own. Which is why I said I'd tell him to keep his chickens. Show me the money!

Love ya,

Rancher, tell it like it is, Hicks