Quarantine? Don't understand....

[SundownWaterfowl]

When I used to purchase birds, I would quarantine for at least 30 days. I also quarantine my birds after shows. I decided to have a closed flock now, so I will not be purchasing any live birds anytime soon.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

This is a compliation of BYC advice about introducing new birds:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

 

[Frannabelle]

I like the 30 day and add one of your existing chickens idea.
I too, understand why quarantines are advised, again, just confused what you're supposed to be looking for....

 

[LarryPQ]

Quote:
x2

 

[Scrummycat]

Quote:
I just got a couple of birds from the Michigan Chickenstock. They are in quarantine in my horse barn. I am looking for any signs of illness..coughing, sneezing, wheezing, eye / nasal discharge, listlessness, not eating/drinking well, wierd smell, poops that don't look normal, worms in their poop, poor color on their combs/wattles, that type of thing. They are doing just fine so far. After a few weeks, I will SLOWLY start to introduce them to the rest of my flock.

 

[Scrummycat]

Also wanted to add, it is stressful on the birds to move to a new place, and health issues that might have not been noticable, might come out when you bring them home because they are stressed and their immunities are down.

 

[Frannabelle]

Quote:
I just got a couple of birds from the Michigan Chickenstock. They are in quarantine in my horse barn. I am looking for any signs of illness..coughing, sneezing, wheezing, eye / nasal discharge, listlessness, not eating/drinking well, wierd smell, poops that don't look normal, worms in their poop, poor color on their combs/wattles, that type of thing. They are doing just fine so far. After a few weeks, I will SLOWLY start to introduce them to the rest of my flock.

What's the Michigan Chickenstock? I'm in Michigan, should I check it out?

 

[speckledhen]

Chicks up to a couple weeks old haven't developed the "issues" which may plague the older birds.

That is not true. Some diseases like CRD can be passed through the egg to the chick. Gumpsgirl's year long trials with Coryza started with one little week old chick.

If you never quarantine and you have had no respiratory illness pop up, then you are just plain lucky. Quarantine is not perfect, but it's the least you must do to try and keep disease out of your flock. If you regularly buy birds and never pay attention to biosecurity, your number will be up sometime in the future. The odds dictate it, especially with most chicken owners being basically ignorant about diseases, Typhoid Mary carriers, etc, etc. That said, you can be very diligent about biosecurity in every way, but no one can see germs, so it could still happen.

Do I care if you quarantine? Nope. Not my problem, really. However, I don't want anyone selling birds on BYC who have ever had respiratory illness. It is not fair or ethical to foist issues onto someone else.​

 

[Scrummycat]

Quote:
It was a gathering of Michigan BYCers held last weekend in Lansing. It is an annual event. I am not sure how to link the thread, but if you look under the meet-ups / chickenstock section of this forum, there is a thread.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
A flock can HAVE a disease organism present without SHOWING it, especially if it is from someone who is selecting for resistant birds and thus does not do biosecurity things but merely culls symptomatic individuals (or treats them til they look healthy again).

Pat