quarantining

[ccshambhala]

I am pretty new to chickens - I got all I have as day old chicks and I have 9 16 wks old and 9 21 wks old. I saw some chickens advertised in the paper and I figured I'd could use some more hens. I went with the kids - and of course then I was trapped and came home with 3 young bantam chickens and a guinea chick. I have them quarantined now but I don't know what I should be looking for. All of the chickens I saw were active and vocal (as opposed to quiet and listless) but they were all a bit tattered/overcrowded and over roostered (at least the owners said that is why so many of them were missing feathers/had bare patches).
Can too many roosters take all the feathers off from around hens butts and tails (I knew the top surface of the back would suffer but ....) or is there some other condition I should be worried about? The bantams I got are young and one of them has no tail feathers (it has tufts but I don't think she had any araucanas) and another has sparse tail feathers. The space I have to quarantine is small so I don't want to keep them alone too long. What about guineas? Do I have to quarantine it just as long as the rest? Now I am worried.....
un

 

[MissPrissy]

Keep the new chickens as far away from your older chickens as possible.

When you feed and water and clean up do everything you need to do for your older chickens first. Then take care of the needs of the new chickens.

You need to do this for about 6 weeks.

During this time watch the new chickens.

Moving and rehoming chickens is stressful on them. It is during this time of stress that any illness or disease they might be carrying will manifest itself.

Look around and you will see many very sad stories in the archives of people bringing home new chickens and ending up loosing their entire flock.

Read the info in this thread on biosecurity - https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=70782

 

[lilchick]

Most of us have felt sorry for and rescued chickens.... .

Not taking the proper time and work to keep separate from yours spells disaster!

Picture losing your pet chicken to a disease brought in by some that you have no feelings for...

The guilt can make you want to get out of raising chickens....

Not to mention the work to clean up your environment to make it safe for anymore chickens to live there.

been there, done that....

My SweetTart is buried beside the pond and I walk by his grave each a.m. to go do chores....