Quarantine New Ducks?

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

Thanks for everyone's condolences on the loss of my little bluey.

Today, I am working on my "fortress" that Little Red Riding Hood could feel safe in.

A woman at my feed/tack store offered me a few 14 week old runners - that I am considering. So here is my questions, do you all recommend quarantine of new ducks and if so for how long?

 

[Cetawin]

Yes quarantine absolutely. Folks vary on the recommended time, I kept my chickens apart for 4 weeks. I wanted to make sure that nothing got passed on to my older girls. But, 2 weeks minimum should be okay. Make sure the new ones are not carrying in anything with them.

I spent the weekend painting the new duck house...the ducks meanwhile are living it up in my garage!

 

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

Awesome.

I have always quarantined new animals, especially when my horse, Max, came from an auction barn. Wasn't sure how long to do the ducks. I think I will go with at least two weeks.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[jmc]

And how far away do you quarantine your new birds?

Some will say it's ok for them to be in adjacent pens--ducks esp. because they are not nearly as prone to disease as chickens/turkeys are--just no PHYSICAL contaact.

Others will separate the birds totally, even from sight and wind at distances of tens to hundreds of feet.

It also is a factor if the birds are YOUNG or BABIES or if they are ADULTS.

Adults, esp. need to be seriously quarantined.............

So again, how far away do some of you separate newcomers.

I just added five FLEDGLING scovies to my mixed group and only kept them in an adjacent pen--no physical contact, separate feed and water.........Everyone is fine and mingling now.

But again ducks are not the 'diseases waiting to happen that chooks are'

 

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

Good point. I was probably a little extreme with 100 feet,huh?

 

[streemers]

i have 2 say that i am a bad girl and got new ducks and put them in with mine with in a few hrs. however i have ready some bad things about that and wont be doing that anymore. also there was a video post a man did on the chicken form here on byc and really got me thinking after he had to put down most of his chickens.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I've never quarantined ducks and have had no problems. There are very few diseases that ducks get. Now, don't think I'm saying to not do it, I'm just saying what I've done

 

[jmc]

What Shelley is saying is another version, you could say, of what I'm saying