Quarantine logistics

[Jenerva]

We have had 4 ISA chickens since April. They are 17 weeks now. One passed away 2 weeks ago and the farmer we bought them from offered to give us 2 more of roughly the same age. I have read many posts and fully understand the need for a 30 day quarantine. HOWEVER, how does one urban farmer actually do this. We have ONE coop and ONE run. Even if I could rig a separate run up for the month, where do the two newbies sleep? I really want to add them to the family, but the posts have me freaked out. Advice?

 

[gdplum]

There are always lots of folks giving advice on how to solve your problem. In your case, it is close to impossible to follow the advice to "isolate" or "quarantine". In the past, when folks had chickens...and wanted to add to their flocks, they went out and purchased whatever they wanted. Brought them home and pitched all their new chickens in with the home chickens...most of the time, all survive. Sometimes they dont...quarantine or not...your decision. I have brought home new hens and mixed all together. After they figure out the pecking order, all seems to go well.
If you dont follow all the rules, you will be ok. Just enjoy your chickens and dont worry about the small stuff.

 

[so lucky]

And since you would be getting the pullets from the same source, they probably would have been exposed to similar bacteria, both good and bad, if any. Might be safer than adding chickens from a new source. Maybe...?

 

[Jenerva]

Thank you! I can't believe how serious I have become regarding these fowl. But it's too exciting to be raising chickens in Detroit to get hung up on the rules (like quarantining). Thanks again for the advice

 

[saladin]

Quote:
Since you are getting your birds from the same source it really doesn't matter; as it has been stated.

However, as to a period of separation with new birds. I've been around chickens all my life and a period of separation was always followed on our farm. As a matter of fact, I was taught this by my great-grandfather. This is not just some new bio-security rule. Farmers were great observers of behaviour/disease. Many, years ago, practised good management from experience. Good management is not a new concept.

 

[TreeHugger]

It's rare that I purchase full grown birds, but I do quarentine in order to treat for worms, mites and for observation. The amount of time I quarentine is based solely on how I feel the conditions of the birds are. I've gotten numberous pigeons from the same breeder and they stay in quarentine for just a few weeks. I've dealt with him enough I don't feel his birds are a threat and most of my pigeon flock originated from him. I did keep a silkie hen in quarentine 3 months, she was in horrible condition and has slight brain damage. "DoDo" has been in my flock of silkies now for about a year now, but she is clueless half of time of where she is or what she is doing

I agree with saladin that since you are getting your birds form the same source it doesn't really matter, plus you have a small flock. There are people on this site that have had to destroy their entire flock due to bringing in diseased birds...

 

[CupOJoe42]

If you have a large dog crate, you can use that as the quarantine place???

 

[speckledhen]

Sometimes, you have to just do the best you can do. In your case, you have such a small number to risk, and getting them from the same place, you may have mitigated that risk. The risk is there, to be sure, since a place can be disease free at one point in time and later on, have had disease set up housekeeping, but just do what you can do.

I put a wire dog kennel in a basement bathroom the one time I bought a rooster and he lived there for five weeks. On occasion, later in quarantine, I brought the kennel onto the deck, far above the ground for him to get sunshine, but he had no contact with the flock for five weeks, during which time he was treated for worms, lice and favus, but was free of respiratory illness, thank goodness. I had only one coop at the time as well.