On the subject of quarantine --
seems like you have to evaluate your own risk which varies by your temperment & your flock. Say you have top-line show birds - you've bred & shown for a period of time. Is it worth the risk to you that you might lose your finest breeders,or is quarantine for 4 weeks peace of mind.
Or say you have 6 birds, you've hand-raised from chicks, have names & are your pets. What's the risk to losing your pet flock, or would you rather give yourself a little peace of mind by quarantining.
I could guess that the majority of folks who don't quarantine are somewhere between these two extremes, if you will, of chicken keeping. they more easily absorb the loss of a few birds for whatever reason (not talking about being callous - not indicting anyone by any means -- just some folks are more realistic ??? - or pragmatic ??? with their flocks.)
I received a lesson recently - saw a pretty obviously sick bird, at a show, being sold by a 'reputable breeder'. It's cage-mates did not show illness - however, how long would it be until they were also ill? How long is the incubation period for virus in chickens? What if the ill bird had been left home & just the ones who appeared well had been brought to the show? (TY PnP for the discussion - I very much took it to heart)
Also heard on another thread, of someone who had picked up birds for a friend's flock. Quarantined them in the garage - & turned out they came up with pox ??? - not sure what this is, but--- point being she was very glad she'd kept them separate & changed clothes, shoes, tended to them last.
No quarantine is 100% - nothing is predator proof either - we all evaluate our own risk tolerance & do what makes sense for us & ours.
and BTW -- due to the overuse of antibiotics, IMHO, germs out there today are much more virulent & nasty today than they were in 1950. think MRSA and flesh-eating bacteria, resistant strains of TB. Salmonella & ecoli infected meat & produce from those massive factory farms. Not going to keep myself & mine in a plastic bubble, can't grow all my own food -- but think being a little careful about germs makes a whole lotta sense, these days. Asses the risk, act accordingly.
just my 2 cents...
seems like you have to evaluate your own risk which varies by your temperment & your flock. Say you have top-line show birds - you've bred & shown for a period of time. Is it worth the risk to you that you might lose your finest breeders,or is quarantine for 4 weeks peace of mind.
Or say you have 6 birds, you've hand-raised from chicks, have names & are your pets. What's the risk to losing your pet flock, or would you rather give yourself a little peace of mind by quarantining.
I could guess that the majority of folks who don't quarantine are somewhere between these two extremes, if you will, of chicken keeping. they more easily absorb the loss of a few birds for whatever reason (not talking about being callous - not indicting anyone by any means -- just some folks are more realistic ??? - or pragmatic ??? with their flocks.)
I received a lesson recently - saw a pretty obviously sick bird, at a show, being sold by a 'reputable breeder'. It's cage-mates did not show illness - however, how long would it be until they were also ill? How long is the incubation period for virus in chickens? What if the ill bird had been left home & just the ones who appeared well had been brought to the show? (TY PnP for the discussion - I very much took it to heart)
Also heard on another thread, of someone who had picked up birds for a friend's flock. Quarantined them in the garage - & turned out they came up with pox ??? - not sure what this is, but--- point being she was very glad she'd kept them separate & changed clothes, shoes, tended to them last.
No quarantine is 100% - nothing is predator proof either - we all evaluate our own risk tolerance & do what makes sense for us & ours.
and BTW -- due to the overuse of antibiotics, IMHO, germs out there today are much more virulent & nasty today than they were in 1950. think MRSA and flesh-eating bacteria, resistant strains of TB. Salmonella & ecoli infected meat & produce from those massive factory farms. Not going to keep myself & mine in a plastic bubble, can't grow all my own food -- but think being a little careful about germs makes a whole lotta sense, these days. Asses the risk, act accordingly.
just my 2 cents...
I was hoping not to have to isolate them desperately for too long.... Def 2 wks at least.... And 4 if really necessary, then so be it... ;-)......
