One lonely hen

[redsoxs]

Howdy from Kansas, Katie, and ! Pleased you joined our community! Best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!

 

[katie80gleason]

Since I only have one chicken left and the risk is low, do you think it would be ok not to quarantine but to choose a couple of healthy looking hens to join her? I really don't have A space to quarantine the others and my house is most definitely not an option I have a baby and a toddler.

 

[N F C]

Since I only have one chicken left and the risk is low, do you think it would be ok not to quarantine but to choose a couple of healthy looking hens to join her? I really don't have A space to quarantine the others and my house is most definitely not an option I have a baby and a toddler.

Personally, I would not introduce new chickens to any existing ones I had without an isolation period first. You can't always tell just by eyeballing a bird if it's healthy or not (well, maybe you could if you were an avian vet, but I know I couldn't).

But that's just me. Others may have different opinions.

 

[katie80gleason]

Ok thanks. I guess I'm torn between keeping her all alone out there or taking a chance since I have no place to quarantine a pal or 2 for her.

 

[sunflour]

Since I only have one chicken left and the risk is low, do you think it would be ok not to quarantine but to choose a couple of healthy looking hens to join her? I really don't have A space to quarantine the others and my house is most definitely not an option I have a baby and a toddler.

I agree with your children, not a good idea to have a house hen.

Do you have a closed garage, basement or separate laundry room - you could use a large dog crate to house them until you're sure they are ok to start meeting the lone hen?

Even if you elect to by pass an isolation period, there is still the issue of introducing them to your hen - and a dog crate will help with that as well.

I would suggest you ask the question under Managing Your Flock along with pics of your coop and run, someone may offer some specific suggestions.

The only other alternative ( and there's still a risk of introducing and possible occult diseases) would be to locate a reputable breeder in your area known to supply healthy pullets/hens?

 

[RodNTN]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Frindizzle]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[QueenMisha]

Since I only have one chicken left and the risk is low, do you think it would be ok not to quarantine but to choose a couple of healthy looking hens to join her? I really don't have A space to quarantine the others and my house is most definitely not an option I have a baby and a toddler.

It's not advisable, but we do what we can. If you purchase from a very reputable source you can reduce chances of getting sick birds. In any case you should do a full physical check on them to be sure they are not bringing any external parasites in. If you don't quarantine you must accept the possibility that the new birds could bring an illness into the flock and affect (possibly sickening and even killing) your remaining hen. Chances of this are not horrifically high - nine out of ten times the birds probably don't have anything worse than perhaps lice or mites - but foregoing quarantine means taking the risk that you get unlucky and end up with that tenth bird.

 

[Teila]

Howdy katie80gleason

I am sorry for your loss

Your predicament is one that I have been in myself and one of the reasons I now have 5 chickens and not just 2.

I initially started out with just 2 and lost one to illness. The remaining gal was very lonely so I made the executive decision to waive quarantine and purchased her a friend from a reputable source. [I realise now that I should have bought 2

].

Sadly, we lost her second companion also. So again, because she was lonely, we waived quarantine but this time bought 2 friends for her; again from a reputable source.

Not a chance I would introduce a chicken now without quarantine and if anything, I have a closed flock and prefer to purchase fertile eggs to increase numbers if need be. I have 5 and allowed a maximum of 6.

However, just wanted to let you know that I did take that chance due to the circumstances and was lucky.

It really does boil down to whether you are prepared to take the risk.