Urgent Reminder-PLEASE Quarantine Newly Acquired Birds!

[nakstk]

2 weeks ago DH and I bought 3 new chicks. I have them in our garage right now. They all seem to be very healthy chicks. My 5 SS pullets that are 10 months old are all very healthy too. I was wonder how much longer I should wait to put the new chicks out side? The pen they are in right now wont be big enough in two more weeks might be too small sooner depending on how fast 2 Wellies and 1 EE grow. We thought about moving them outside next week because they will be mostly feathered and we can turn on a heat lamp at night for them. BUT now I am worried about the quarantine time. We bought the new chicks from the same feed store as our others but I have no clue what farm they got them from. Would it be okay to move them next week or should we wait 2 weeks so we will have waited the full month?

 

[Oliveroblong]

Curious if this 30 day quarantine is applicable to juvenile pullets from a reputable hatchery, as well? I have on the way in October, two juvenile pullets from My Pet Chicken hatchery. I ordered them a month ago and cannot wait! My current six very happy hens free-range, etc. I have an enclosed run attached to my coop - If I keep my current flock out of it for one month before the arrival of the new girls, would this be a suitable, safe scenario, mind you I would keep the pop door closed and could block off any openings therein to the big coop? Or should I invest in a small coop to put on the opposite side of the yard away from my current coop and block it off from my existing flock. I would like not to have to purchase a new coop, as they are expensive, but I would like it more, if my entire flock integrates happily and healthily. Thoughts? I appreciate any advice!

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I have 9 two month old birds. I was planning on getting 3 more either younger, or around the same age. How long should I quarantine? If the three birds are from three different people, should I quarantine them separately?

 

[Oliveroblong]

Curious if this 30 day quarantine is applicable to juvenile pullets from a reputable hatchery, as well? I have on the way in October, two juvenile pullets from My Pet Chicken hatchery. I ordered them a month ago and cannot wait! My current six very happy hens free-range, etc. I have an enclosed run attached to my coop - If I keep my current flock out of it for one month before the arrival of the new girls, would this be a suitable, safe scenario, mind you I would keep the pop door closed and could block off any openings therein to the big coop? Or should I invest in a small coop to put on the opposite side of the yard away from my current coop and block it off from my existing flock. I would like not to have to purchase a new coop, as they are expensive, but I would like it more, if my entire flock integrates happily and healthily. Thoughts? I appreciate any advice!

Looks like Speckled Hen answered my question:


"Many of the deaths I've read about here and have received calls about go something like this:

'I rec'd this bird from x. Brought it home and didn't quarantine it. Within a week it was dead and now I'm worried about my flock!'

The assumption here is that the 'bird from x' was sick. That assumption can be very, very wrong. It is just as likely that the 'bird from x' couldn't handle the new load of pathogens that were present in the new coop and thus died.

Absolutely, that can happen, yes! Could be the owner's flock was the one who made the new one ill, certainly. No argument here!"

______ Seems it is related to pathogen loads. Quarantine it is!! SO, I'm still curious if I my current flock out of it for one month before the arrival of the new girls, could I use it for a temporary coop for the new pullets? (see original post, above).

 

[Cetawin]

I have 9 two month old birds. I was planning on getting 3 more either younger, or around the same age. How long should I quarantine? If the three birds are from three different people, should I quarantine them separately?

I quarantine for at least 30 days...some have been longer to allow them to gain some size. if you can quarantine separately I would recommend it. if one bird is ill and with two others, the others could become ill as well.

 

[coffeekittie]

Quarantine any new animal, period. Such good advice.

I dodged a bullet recently by putting two young turkeys I purchased into quarantine although I didn't think they were sick. I'm going to cull them tomorrow.

Yes, they cost money which is now wasted; yes, I'm already attached and feel terrible about putting them down, but I'd feel a heck of a lot worse watching my entire poultry flock get sick and have to be put down. Sigh.

 

[speckledhen]

Quarantine any new animal, period. Such good advice.

I dodged a bullet recently by putting two young turkeys I purchased into quarantine although I didn't think they were sick. I'm going to cull them tomorrow.

Yes, they cost money which is now wasted; yes, I'm already attached and feel terrible about putting them down, but I'd feel a heck of a lot worse watching my entire poultry flock get sick and have to be put down. Sigh.

And that is it in a nutshell. Sorry about your turkeys, coffeekittie.

 

[coffeekittie]

SpeckledHen, thanks. I did it a couple hours ago, and it wasn't fun, but it was quick and painless for them. I just apologized to them over and over and said nice things about them in a friendly voice so they would have a happy ending.

 

[Salinda]

I recently received 3 barred rock hens about a year or less in age and 4 bannies about a year old (one of which is a roo). We had built a new coop for our original four (which are also a little less than a year) and put all the new ones in our old coop to keep them separated for the suggested month. After about a week we noticed one hen had been visciously attacked and we had to remove it. It was in our house for a few days so we could treat the gaping head wound and let it recover. No sooner had we removed it than another one began to be attacked as well. I came home one day to find that my spouse had had enough and had decided to throw them all in the big coop to tone down the violence, thinking our bigger hens could settle it. This worked in the sense it toned down the violence, and with the exception of the bannies being chased its relatively peaceful. I am now housing my recovering hen in the smaller one. What things should I be looking for now that they are all integrated. They all look pretty healthy as we checked them over for mites and other things when we first got them from our friends. Now that they are all integrated I think its too later to re-separate them. I am new at this and this is our first flock. We have only had the new ones about a week. And what about the poor injured barred rock? How and when do we integrate her?? is she just doomed now??

 

[coffeekittie]

I recently received 3 barred rock hens about a year or less in age and 4 bannies about a year old (one of which is a roo). We had built a new coop for our original four (which are also a little less than a year) and put all the new ones in our old coop to keep them separated for the suggested month. After about a week we noticed one hen had been visciously attacked and we had to remove it. It was in our house for a few days so we could treat the gaping head wound and let it recover. No sooner had we removed it than another one began to be attacked as well. I came home one day to find that my spouse had had enough and had decided to throw them all in the big coop to tone down the violence, thinking our bigger hens could settle it. This worked in the sense it toned down the violence, and with the exception of the bannies being chased its relatively peaceful. I am now housing my recovering hen in the smaller one. What things should I be looking for now that they are all integrated. They all look pretty healthy as we checked them over for mites and other things when we first got them from our friends. Now that they are all integrated I think its too later to re-separate them. I am new at this and this is our first flock. We have only had the new ones about a week. And what about the poor injured barred rock? How and when do we integrate her?? is she just doomed now??

Yes, it's too late to separate them for quarantine now, so it's a matter of watching and waiting. Your injured girl shouldn't be put back with them until she's fully healed. There are some great threads on BYC about integrating flocks, and I'll look for some links to edit in here. You can find them by searching for integrating chickens and/or pecking order, that sort of thing.

Try this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock