Please tell me your method for quarantining - i mean logistically

[Dar]

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another reason is that a chicken may have an illness and be fighting it just fine. BUT when we transport chickens even from coop to coop on our own property they get stressed and stress will allow dome illness to become active and then contagious

 

[threehorses]

Wonderful responses! And I loved the brooder/quarantine cage!

Here, I use cages that I keep up at my house around the corner of a covered porch where the temperature is always good. It's in a position where the wind doesn't blow anything to the yard, and the chickens don't come up here since the dog attack.

So they're about 200 feet or more away from the other birds and close to the house where I can monitor them. I do them last in the day.

Honestly they get smaller cages (but still enough room) in quarantine than they will be expected to live in for the rest of their time here. It's my concession for having to quarantine. I really would love to try the tractor idea for upcoming birds however.

There are some neat free designs on building a "greenhouse" from PVC pipe and plastic - with a door and everything. I don't know why in our climate that couldn't be netting and tarp instead. Also an actual poultry pen:

http://www.pvcplans.com/

 

[PunkinPeep]

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I love the simplicity of the pvc plans, but i think i would have to add some way to anchor them to the ground. The local raccoons would just lift it up and snatch a chicken where i live.

I think that predator-proofing a semi-temporary structure for quarantining is my biggest konundrum. I'm all too aware of the boldness of raccoons in my neck of the woods. They've just picked up and moved wooden structures before to snatch my chickens.

I'm really appreciating all the input here; it helps get my creative/problem solving gears turning. I hope y'all will keep it coming for a bit.

 

[threehorses]

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Ohhh I hear ya on the raccoons. With us it's possums right now (though thankfully they're not as clever/strong as raccoons).

 

[Pathfinders]

Punkin, I really think when it comes to raccoons you need to have a two-fold strategy: really secure housing, and either several good dogs, and/or trap and kill.

Some years we have trapped and killed as many as 30 raccoons in 30 days. Other years, not so many. I know it's distressing to consider, but far worse to deal with them killing valuable birds. And even when you think a pen is secure, a small predator may be able to get in a tiny hole and do damage, which happened to us this spring.

My husband's 30-30 Winchester is my friend...

And here is a pic of some of the housing we use for our birds (although we are moving away from the hoop house model, as they just fly too well in high winds!):

http://www.pathfindersfarm.com/hoophouse.html