Urgent Reminder-PLEASE Quarantine Newly Acquired Birds!

[akcountrygrrl]

The most important thing with quarantine is to make sure you aren't using the same tools/feeders/waterers/scoops/etc on your quarantine coop as you are your regular coop. This also means changing clothes, shoes, etc and washing hands before moving from one to the other. Many contagious diseases can be carried on any of these items and easily, unknowingly be passed this way.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Remember this folks, be careful about bringing home new birds!

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, Sally! I really wish folks would listen. Too many stories of heartache lately.

 

[HennyJenny]

Cynthia,
I'm getting 10 one week old barnevelders next week. I'm going to have them in a brooder in the house instead of my brooder in the coop. They are not hatchery chicks. If I kept them in the brooder in the house for four weeks (God help me) would I have seen any symptoms of most common illness in immature birds during that period?
Thanks!
Jenny

 

[chickeepoo]

Guilty- I got my 6 chicks form a local breeder, straight from his incubator and brooder to my home, but I ended up swapping out 2 roos form those 6 for 2 pullets of the same breeds… bu they were already older and out in a pen with other chickens. I SHOULD have, SHOULD have,

QUARANTINED for the 4 weeks instead of putting them in with the rest here, but because he was a NPIP breeder and I wanted to get the birds acclimated to each other, I guess it didn't cross my mind at the time. There are so many things that they could bring in other than the things they test for… I'm treating everyone and hoping I dodged a BIG bullet.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm treating everyone and hoping I dodged a BIG bullet.

That is actually the worst thing you can do is throw antibiotics at them. That won't cure diseases like CRD and Coryza if they are carriers. Never, ever give antibiotics to birds in quarantine (I know you said you didn't quarantine). It doesn't stop them from being carriers, but it may mask symptoms that are crucial if you are to determine what they may have. Take away the antibiotics, if that's what you meant by treating them. If there is anything to be caught, you'll see symptoms soon enough.

Cynthia,
I'm getting 10 one week old barnevelders next week. I'm going to have them in a brooder in the house instead of my brooder in the coop. They are not hatchery chicks. If I kept them in the brooder in the house for four weeks (God help me) would I have seen any symptoms of most common illness in immature birds during that period?
Thanks!
Jenny

Honestly, I can't answer that definitively. You may see symptoms and probably would if there is anything to be concerned about, but there is no guarantee. Usually, stress brings out symptoms in birds who are disease carriers, so if they are happy in their environment, they may not show symptoms. Hopefully, all will go well with them.​

 

[HennyJenny]

Quote:
Thank you for the information! It sounds like I probably need to rethink the plan. I planned this rather impulsively as I am tired of hatching and rather bad at it but I don't want to risk my flock or my meat birds coming in a few weeks. What is the distinction between hatchery chicks and local breeder chicks? I suppose hatcheries are continually tested for the diseases we're quarantining for?

 

[speckledhen]

Well, generally, hatcheries pay close attention to the health of their breeder flocks and have very strict biosecurity measures. Not all breeders practice it that stringently, since the term "breeder" is thrown around loosely. Hatcheries are not necessarily MG-free, though the likelihood of them selling you chicks that are infected is very low. That extra testing costs them lots more $$ and extra paperwork since they'd have to be tested every few months for the MG-free certification (I think I have that correct). They are Pullorum and Typhoid free, being NPIP; most hatcheries are NPIP, but probably not all.

Much of the problem with folks buying sick birds is that the owners don't understand the nature of avian diseases and think their birds have simple head colds and really have no idea they are setting someone else up for heartache.

 

[MotherJean]

This is such an important warning, I'd like to see it as a sticky - perhaps in a couple of places - like "Raising Baby Chicks" and "Managing Your Flock." Once most folks get to the "Emergencies/Diseases/Injuries and Cures they've already made their mistakes and are paying the price.

 

[MomMommyMamma]

Lots of questions answered ~ thanks!