Should I Quarantine This Bird?

[Cat Water]

I just got a new 8 week old Naked Neck pullet and I was wondering if I should quarantine her. She is the same age as my other birds, and I wanted to get all the breeds I wanted before the pecking order was established. Is she too young to carry contagious diseases? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

No, she's not to young to be carrying disease. You should quarentine ANY new bird, even if they look healthy.

How do you know it's a Naked-Neck & not a bad case of lice?

 

[Cat Water]

What should I be looking for? How long do I have to keep her far away all by herself?

 

[Kittymomma]

Keep her seperated for a month. If I bring new birds in I like to do at least two at a time so they don't get so lonesome in quarantine and so they have a buddy when it's time to integrate them into the main flock, but even though it's harder with a single don't shortchange the quarantine, it's just not worth the risk to your main flock.

You'll want to keep a close eye on her stools, general behaviour, and it's also a good idea to check her over closely with a flashlight at night looking for mites and lice. Pay particular attention to under the wings and around her fuzzy butt. Mites are easier to see/more active at night.

 

[speckledhen]

At least a month to six weeks quarantine is necessary. Even then, it isn't a guarantee that she won't be a carrier. She could be a carrier even at hatch as some diseases are passed through the egg to the chick. Ask gumpsgirl, whose flock was decimated by Coryza by bringing home a week old chick and not quarantining.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

Yes I think I would of quarantined just in case. I had ordered 150 Black Copper Marans 1.5 years ago and quarantined for only 2 weeks. Mistake! I lost all 150 birds plus all my others(approx.150) to Mareks and some nasty respitory thing. I put 150 birds with mine and It hit fast and in 10 days I was to my wits end. Never again will I not quarantine. Good luck!