Quarentine Issue

[Morgan7782]

Alright so I got 4 new pullets yesterday, they are about 8 weeks old or so, no obvious health concerns, but I was still planning on keeping them far away from my current flock of to 12 week old pullets. I was keeping the new girls in a brooder tub in my living room, and the older girls are free ranging in the backyard.

Well this morning I run inside to go to the bathroom, and I don't shut the back door behind myself. Why would I? The dog is on a car ride, cat is locked up, everybody is seperated...

I come out from the bathroom and BOTH Joon and Munk (12 week olds) are in my living room!! And NOT only that, my NEW pullets somehow pushed their cardboard 'opening' (which was set shut but not tied, these are youngin's, didn't think they could escape!!) and now ALL my chickens are exploring the living room, pooping wherever, and not only that the NEW and OLD are together! AUGH! I was really going to

myself.. I rushed around, gathering Munk and Joon and tossing (not literally but close) them outside, SHUT the back door and got the new girls back in their brooder.

So.. Everybody was exposed to everybody for however long I was in the bathroom..

Now I have only had these new girls 12/18 hours, and was planning on keeping them all seperate for 14-30 days depending on how everything went. But now they have seen each other, met, mingled, and I am worried for my current flock of two.

How many people have had issues with new vs old chicks and illness?? How concerned should I be? Should I just put them together now that they have already been exposed to each other? Any information would be helpful.. I feel so stupid but had NO clue Joon and Munk would come IN the house! They never ever have before.. UGH.

I feel sick to my stomach about it, it was such a stupid mistake, and I hadn't planned on something like this happening at all. I have not read any horror stories as of yet, but I will be doing a search. If the chicks do not appear sick after 30 days and you integrate them, could something happen then? Now I am thinking I should NOT have got new chicks at ALL.. I should have just stuck with my two and not expanded. I feel awful for putting any of them in danger and hadn't intended on doing so. Why do people get new chicks if it is so dangerous?? Man I think I am gunna go throw up now.

Edited: I did a search for failed quarantine's, and a few words mixed up to try and get better results. I couldn't find anything about bad quarantine happenings, at least in the search I did on BYC. I am NOT saying they don't exist, merely that I could not locate any threads that might be of help. I am aware this did not go as smoothly as I had hoped, but if anybody could offer some suggestions on what to do now I would be grateful. Do I need to do anything special to my older two girls? Do I need to do anything special to the new girls? Nobody outwardly appears sick, everybody eating, drinking, pooping like normal. am aware I messed up, believe me, I am beating the crap out of myself for it..

Adding:

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
The new birds are Wyandottes, and the current flock is 1 Barred Rock and 1 EE

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Everybody appears happy and healthy

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
No symptoms at the moment

4) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No

5) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
New birds mingled with current birds

6) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
All are on water and grower, seperate waterers and feeders

7) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Completely normal, mostly formed

8) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Nothing yet

9 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Treat myself

10) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
No wound

11) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pine shavings, the new pullets were in a brooder and the current 12 week old pullets came inside and they all were in the living room together. Able to touch each other and mingle. I just got new chicks yesterday. This is a quarantine mishap.

 

[SweetMotherOfMars]

(Moved this from the other thread.)

Well, you can't change the past. So while you are cleaning up the living room

just plan how to reinforce the quarantine housing. (I'm guessing the new chicks weren't going to live in the tub forever.)

I wouldn't assume that because they were exposed to each other briefly that they were exposed thoroughly making quarantine moot. Try your best to keep them apart, just watch both sets closely. As far as length of quarantine, I'd guess longer is better... but all of my chicks either came here in the shell from the person who gave us the first eggs or were hatched out from our own, so I have no stories to help (good or bad.)

 

[Morgan7782]

I think I am just going to give these new girls back to their original owner.. It was totally stupid of me to get new chicks, I don't have the experience to do this correctly and I am sitting here in tears freaking out that my Joon and Munk will get sick from the exposure. Stupid stupid stupid morgan. ARG. I am going to call the lady right now and just stick with my Joon and Munk. I dont know what the heck I was thinking. I don't have acreage, and was doing the quarantine in my house while my current two girls were outside. I feel like such a flippin' idiot, and hope to GOD that Munk and Joon are alright.. They are 13 weeks old and are healthy as can be, for now at least..

 

[kathyinmo]

Here is one to read through ....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69444

 

[Morgan7782]

Thank you. Katy I don't suppose you have a suggestion on what to do now? What to look for? Anything? If so please speak up, I know I messed up and all I am asking for is some suggestions on how to get the most out of the quarantine now. Let me ask some specific questions and perhaps you can answer them.

All the chicks are seperated now. What should I watch for in Joon and Munk?

What should I watch for in the new chicks?

Should I offer any sort of vitamin or antibiotic just to be safe?

Should I lengthen the quarantine from 30 days to more?

If you can answer these along with telling me what I have done wrong and how concerned I should be I would be very grateful. Thanks.

Added: I am on a bit of an edge right now, having some issues with your responses being so damp yet not seeing any suggestions offered. I am quite aware of the dangers now, and have just finished reading that thread. It was helpful in some aspects but once again all the moral seems to be is quarantine. I can't find anything on what to do ONCE your current flock has been exposed to new birds.

Sweetmotherofmars:

No these chicks were only in the brooder tub until I get my coop next week. I was planning on having the new pullets in my new coop, and the 12 week olds in their current coop. Seperate coops, seperate runs. The only chickens that will be free ranged will be Munk and Joon. The new chicks will have a secure run, but no access to free ranging until 30 days or so pass. The 8 week old new chicks will be in my house, in the brooder tub. No heat light or anything, but it is a safe spot from predators and such until I get my new coop.

 

[Orchid]

Okay, I don't have a lot of experience with chickens, but I DO have a lot of experience with quarantining and integrating horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs...

And so, my first word of advice is, calm down.

What's done is done, and there's nothing to be gained by stressing out, or by returning your new chickens.

What I would do, first, is contact the person/place where you got your new chickens, and explain the situation, and ask if any of the chickens there are exhibiting any sign of disease. Assuming they are not, all you need to do is keep a close eye on both your resident and new chickens - while maintaining the quarantine, and keeping the door shut in future.

Chances are good that the exposure was very limited and that all your birds will be just fine.

 

[Morgan7782]

Orchid: Thank you very much for your response. I appreciate that you live by your signature (first line) and I have calmed down since the event happened. All the birds were together for a bit, and finally got everybody seperated for good. I will be shutting the door after myself from now on, and will also not underestimate my older girls. I will give the lady a call and speak with her about what things are like in her flock, she was a very nice woman who seemed honest, so I am confident she will let me know of any going ons. I have the new pullets in their tub, and my older girls are outside free ranging. They are definately seperated now. When I first got these girls I had a check list of things to look for, and I have not seen any signs of illness. I think the closest I came was when one of the new pullet's crop was full and I thought she had a tumor. No discharge, no runny noses or eyes, no sneezing or weezing when they breath. They are VERY active, and are eating, drinking, pooping fine. The poop looks normal color and consistancy to me. These new girls came from Welp Hatchery, and this lady has had them since they were delivered. They are 8 weeks old (ish) now.

I will call the previous owner and try to get any information I can. My older girls seem fine as well, and they have been healthy since the day I got them. They were vaccinated against Mereks but from what I have read that is a small concern at this time. I will continue on with the quarantine, these new girls will just have to bite the bullet and deal with being inside for a month. Thank you again and if you happen to think of anything else I can do please don't hesitate to say. Thank you again.

 

[Orchid]

The only other thing I can think of is to make sure you have your chicken first aid kit up to date, in case you would need an antibiotic while the feed store is closed.

I think your chickens are lucky that you are so concerned about them. Have a good weekend, and try not to worry too much.

 

[Peppermint]

Deep breaths.... What a good sign that your girls all socialized together unharmed!!! No bloody heads, no plucked feathers, no one weeping in the corner! They're going to have so much fun together when they're out of quarantine, working their pecking order out. They are going to have a blast freaking out over a newly-found worm, playing keep away from each other...keep them quarantined from now until 30 days have passed. We're all human, and they're lucky to have you.