Quarantining chicks?

[ChristinaMae]

I know I need to quarantine before adding new birds to my flock, but I'm curious if I need to worry about this with chicks, too? Currently I have 6 chicks purchased from the feed store that are about a week old, and hopefully I will be getting some day old chicks today, but from a private breeder. Do I need to quarantine the new chicks? For how long? Should they be in a completely different room, or just separate brooders? Obviously it would be easiest to put them all together, especially when it comes time to add them all to my current flock later. I just don't know if I need to be worried about chicks that haven't had contact with any other birds?

 

[Illia]

Now my opinion may be wrong, and I don't know what trust can be put into feedstore chicks, but I once purchased my 8 Ameraucana chicks from a breeder, and they were some number of days old. Then, a couple days later, I purchased some day old Marans, and added them with the Ameraucanas. I didn't quarantine them, as I figured that nothing could really get to a baby chick less than 24 hours after it hatches, especially with its only experience being in a little brooder.

Turns out noone died, and all 12 chicks are doing great and a little older than a month now.

But someone else may say otherwise. I've actually never asked and never heard of such, so I really wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing, but since both groups of chicks had no exposure to anything that could get them unhealthy, I gave it a shot anyway.

Hey I just realized you're from Gig Harbor!

and hello from Forks.

My chicks I actually got from Gig Harbor and Port Orchard.

 

[felidaet]

I have seen similar questions posted several times in the last few weeks. Most people don't feel there is a need to quarantine chicks.

Last year I bought chicks from several different feed stores over a three week period. I put them all together in one brooder. This year I am getting chicks from a local breeder and at least 3 feed stores. I am planning to put the all together in the same brooder again this year with no quarantine time. The only difference this year is that they are going to be much closer in age (a good thing). At this time it looks like they will all be within 1 week of each other in age.

 

[ChristinaMae]

I think I've talked to you a little bit on the Washingtonian board, Illia.

I recognize your avatar. Those eggs are gorgeous.

Thanks for the help. I don't think I would have been concerned at all had it been two different groups of feedstore chicks, or even chicks from two different breeders.

I ended up just putting them all togther. I did put a wire mesh divider down the middle of the brooder to separate them, though. One or two of my week old buffs are pretty bossy, and I didn't want them to peck at the babies too much - they seem so fragile compared to the week olds! However, it's one of the new babies trying to peck the older chicks through the mesh, instead.

He/she seems to especially hate it when the older chicks are drinking their water.

I'm going to take the divider down in a fe days, when they stop trying so hard to peck each other.

Thanks again for the advice, ladies! XD

 

[Illia]

Yeah anything past a week and I wouldn't risk combining them. I know that on the 20th I have eggs due to hatch, then on the 25th I have chicks due to arrive - I just hope those chicks are within a week of age, because I actually don't know how old or young they'll be. All I know is that I am excited!!

But really, I'm surprised my Ameraucanas welcomed my Marans so well when I introduced them. They were so scared and confused, and the Ameraucanas never pick on them, even now! The Ameraucanas don't really care - They care about what "mommy has today!" - The Marans are still pretty A) laidback or B) flighty. Mainly the littlest one.