Quarantine for foster birds

[SassyKat6181]

So I thought fostering a few birds for the woman down the street whose house was damaged in the tornado last week was a grand idea.......but after reading, and suggestions of quarantine, I kinda wish I hadn't agreed. I have 29 lovely chickens and 14 ducks......I would hate to lose a single one. I also have 11 guineas, but they are in a separate coop and are still babies, so they haven't been outside yet. The lady brought up 3 chicks that she said were 6 weeks old....they are way too big for 6 weeks, my guess is closer to 12, and 1 guinea also about the same size. I set up a separate temporary coop in an extra horse stall away from the other birds. Should I just leave them in that coop until she gets her land cleared and coop delivered and not risk putting them in with my girls? Thanks

 

[jinxschuh]

If it is only going to be for a few weeks at most I'd keep them separate. Above worrying about any mites or what ever they may introduce to your flock, they could be perfectly healthy, you'd have the issue of socializing them with your chickens and then all of them having another adjustment period when they are ready to go back home. But that is just my opinion because I fostered a chick for my neighbor because she only wanted one and I was getting 8 and 1 chick doesn’t do well by it’s self… now that her chick is old enough to go home it is completely out of sorts and is having a hard time adjusting and my chickens are fighting for a new pecking order.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, I would keep them separate. If your neighbor had a closed flock, which means she did not introduce new birds, then I think the type of quarantine you are doing is pretty worthless anyway if you are ever going to add then to your flock. You can check them or even treat them for mites, lice, and worms, which has some benefit, but some flocks have diseases that they are immune to but they can infect other birds. If they are immune to the disease, you can keep them quarantined forever and they will never show any symptoms. I'll use Cocci as an example. If those three carry the protozoa for Cocci but have developed an immunity to it, they will never show symptoms but can infect your flock. Similarly, your flock might infect them.

If the chickens have been exposed to other birds recently from shows, auctions, or any new bird added to the flock, then there is a benefit to quarantine as you are doing it. And not every flock has diseases they are immune to. If you are already set uop for it and can keep doingit, I'd keep them separate.

Ther way I suggest doing a quarantine is to put one of your birds with the new ones. If it gets sick, or if they do, then you know you have a problem.