When do I end "quarantine"?

[Jrose]

I picked up 3 hens the other day, being kept as per "industry standard". They weren't all that healthy. I've had them free ranging during the day (3/4 acre), free to mingle with the rest of the flock, but they're roosting in a separate area at night. It's been 5 nights and 5 days and they're starting to follow the flock around more, establishing pecking order, and following me around. I checked them for mites, they look pretty darn clean. The feathers they do have (they'd been pecked heavily from cramped conditions) now have a nice sheen to them. Their poos aren't stinky and awful anymore.

When should I officially sneak them into the main coop with everyone else?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Since they've been roaming with yours, anything they may have has already been given to yours so it's probably a moot point now.

Normally it is 2-4 weeks and at least 40 feet from the others. Sounds like they've been much closer.

 

[Jrose]

The three new girls were pretty leery and skittish at first. Yesterday was the first day they really intermingled. That's why I figured it might be good to start integrating them. I went ahead and set the new girls in the main coop this evening after everyone went to roost.

I've heard a lot of different views- some say a few weeks, others a day or two. Most of the people I asked in person said to house them side by side, so they can see each other through the fences and acclimate to the new faces. I figured housing them on the other side of the property and having them mingle around there where my other chickens rarely go would be just as effective.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

You're not realizing quarantein and pre-introduction seperation are 2 different things. Quarantein is totally isolated for 30 days to prevent spread of disease, then pre-intro seperation where they can see, hear, & get used to each other other but have no physical contact, usually for a week, then togetherness.

 

[Jrose]

Oh okay. Do you think completely separating the new hens is a mandatory thing? I checked them for mites or major problems before I brought them home. Aside from being very thin, a little malnourished, and missing too many feathers from cramped conditions, their combs looked good, eyes were bright, and they were full of spunk!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

You mean it first, as in 30 day medical quarantiene? No, it's not mandatory, it's totally up to you but it's a good idea. Even if a bird appears healthy and you got the bird from a trusted source it could have a sickness that's not showing any symptoms yet. Thus the 30 day isolation period.

 

[hannahrachel]

Normally when I bring new chickens home, I put then in the quarantine pen for a minimum f thirty days to make sure they don't have any diseases that could contaminate the rest of my flock. If they show any weird behavior around the 30 day mark I'll keep them in the quarantine pen until they haven't shown any symptoms for 10 days.

... But that's just how I do it. I'm pretty paranoid when it comes to disease prevention, and I want to make sure that if I can prevent disease, I'll take all the steps I can.

It sounds like there isn't any point in quarantining your new birds since they've been intermingling with your main flock, so if they had anything they've already passed it on. I would keep a sharp eye out for any strange behavior for the next few weeks and see if anything pops up.

I hope your new chickens are doing okay! It's always exciting bringing home new anything, especially hens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I rarely bring in new birds anymore but when I do they are separated for about 3 or 4 weeks. After they've been here a week and they still look good I take one of my birds that's expendable (sacrificial lamb) and house it next to the new bird/s. That way if they are carriers of something mine have never been exposed to it would likely affect my lone bird.