Quarantine - what am I looking for?

[Kangasox]

I have read on here what I can find about quarantine. We have an established flock of 14 ducks, and got two 4 month old geese 3 weeks ago from a local person who hatched and raised them. We have had them in quarantine and used good practices. We have checked them for mites and bugs (checking again this weekend) and had their stool tested (negative for bad stuff, good gut bacteria). They are eating, drinking, and look good. My question is, what else should I be looking for? Is there something that could show up in the final week? I'm just trying to juggle schedules and out of town and deciding if the final week is absolutely necessary before we can start getting them used to each other.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

They should be just fine. You can start getting them used to each other as soon as you want.

 

[aart]

I have read on here what I can find about quarantine. We have an established flock of 14 ducks, and got two 4 month old geese 3 weeks ago from a local person who hatched and raised them. We have had them in quarantine and used good practices. We have checked them for mites and bugs (checking again this weekend) and had their stool tested (negative for bad stuff, good gut bacteria). They are eating, drinking, and look good. My question is, what else should I be looking for? Is there something that could show up in the final week? I'm just trying to juggle schedules and out of town and deciding if the final week is absolutely necessary before we can start getting them used to each other.

Sometimes folks put a 'canary' bird (a low value bird from the existing flock) in with the new birds for the fourth and final week of quarantine.... and if either group of birds are carrying something, there's a good chance that it will break with symptoms.

 

[appps]

It's a pain but were a bird still incubating an illness that wiped out your flock it would be a pain you wished you put up with. Someone on another thread still lost birds after a four week quarantine. I did six weeks myself. It's basically a luck of the draw thing. Yes chances are all is fine and there will be no problems when you put them together unless you just happen to be the one in a hundred gets unlucky. So guess it boils down to how lucky you are feeling lol

 

[Kangasox]

Sometimes folks put a 'canary' bird (a low value bird from the existing flock) in with the new birds for the fourth and final week of quarantine.... and if either group of birds are carrying something, there's a good chance that it will break with symptoms.

I was thinking of putting my good for nothing drakes in with them.

 

[aart]

Quote: I'd only put a chicken on there, one chicken.

 

[Kangasox]

I'd only put a chicken on there, one chicken.

No chickens here, only waterfowl.

 

[aart]

Quote: Ohhh...missed that part...<DOH!>...not sure a randy drake would be a good idea tho either.