Quarantining a Chicken

[Lunachick]

Hi all, I'm going to get another hen at the end of Sept. I understand you must quarantine for about 2 wks. But my question is what does that do exactly? After 2 wks she will be OK? How do I know? and What happens during those 2 wks, does she (if she has anything) just wait out whatever disease or illness etc she has and it abates?

Sorry if this sounds dopey, but I like to know all the details!

 

[silkiechicken]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12751

That should provide some info!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Moving to a new home can be very stressful. Sometimes a bird that appears healthy can actually be carrying a sub-clinical infection. Under stress, the infection gets the upper hand and then they have a full blown case of whatever. Quarantine helps this happen away from your other birds, where you can possibly treat it, depending on the problem.

In the case of auctions, shows or swap meets, the bird could have been perfectly healthy when they got there, but been exposed while they were there. Again, this could show up in quarantine.

Hope this helps!

 

[speckledhen]

Do read the suggested thread, but I want to reiterate that the quarantine must not be in the same air space as your other birds and must be for four weeks, not two. Sometimes it takes that long for diseases to show up. It can be stressful to add adult birds-that's why I'll probably never do it again.

 

[devora]

speckledhen:
I have noticed you're very good at warning folks to do the right thing re: quarantine. Have you had something bad happen? I'm wondering what to look for. This only applies to a new bird, right? If I buy chicks next year and hand raise 'em, I can mix them when they're old enough?

 

[Lunachick]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I don't take adopting an adult bird too lightly, that's why I asked. I must have missed those posts that Silkie supplied, but the bird I'm interested in is NPIP according to the owner. If that is so, should I still quarantine her? And for 2 wks or a month?

I just want to do the right thing. Thanks again for all the info!

 

[speckledhen]

devora, I didn't have anything bad happen. I've only added one adult bird in all my time of owning chickens and that was because I wanted a rooster ready-to-go, so to speak. I did more than a month of quarantine with Hawkeye. I treated favus on his comb and face, lice, malnutrition and he had a funny way of breathing that was just him, not any disease, but it was very, very stressful.
Near the end of quarantine, we, on the advice of a well-known poultry expert, checked his throat for canker because of his odd breathing sound (odd to me, but just a rooster's deep-chested breathing) and he had clumps of wet feed stuck to the sides of his throat. It looked EXACTLY like the photos of canker in the throat. That meant he would have to be put down rather than take his place in my flock. Let me clarify that TO ME it meant he must be put down. I wouldnt treat those types of things and risk exposing my healthy girls to anything. I refused to lose him before looking at his throat again and voila! GONE! It was just feed stuck to his throat. I felt stupid but so relieved, I didn't care.
Even if someone was NPIP certified, I am just a cautious person with my birds. I myself would quarantine any birds entering my flock. Just because they are tested for a few diseases, doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't carriers of SOMETHING. Everyone must make up their own minds. Please don't think I'm saying I'm some type of authority on all of this-I just do not want anyone to experience the heartbreak I've seen others go through. You must make up your own mind the risks you are willing to take and know that there are risks.

 

[Napalongtail]

30 DAYS and no less. I have had bad things happen and thats why I haven't shown in 3 years. I insisted on building a new quarentine facility before I"d even think about sending in the entries. I quarentine 30 days before and after. That way if someone comes to but they don't introduce anything to the birds going out and when I return those birds don't introduce anything to the rest of the flocks. It is tough, but when you have to destroy your pets because of someone elses neglegence then you figure out that the warnings are not just warnings they are for real!!!

 

[MandyH]

I have a post on here somewhere from a while back, speckledhen probably remembers, anyway, I DID have some sick birds introduced to MY flock and had to kill every ne that I owned. It is a stupid and costly mistake to make. There isn't any harm in quarantining a bird for a month. As long as they have a good place to be. DO NOT EVER introduce a bird to your flock that has not been quarantined first. My husband did it and I thought I was going to have to kill HIM!

 

[DuckLady]

It is just common sense to quarantine. I commend those that remind all the new chicken owners of it. It cannot be stressed to much.