Will my hens be okay?

[holderh]

I have been quarentining my new hens for about a week and a half. They are in a dog kennel. I have been keeping my orignal hens in their own run tho because they could get there heads thru the new hens pen. I hate having to keep my hens in the run everyday as i usually let them free range. I was wanting to quarentine for at least a month because my new hens have been pulling each others feathers. (they had been doing this before i got them) the new hens seem healthy other than the feather pulling. We have trimmed their beaks, are feeding them lots of protien and have put them on some anti biotics thanks to some suggestions from memebers to this site. My question is if i continue to watch them for about another week and i dont notice any sicknesses in the new hens would it be safe to let my orignal hens out of their run? or is it better to keep them all penned up until the new hens grow back all of their feathers? I want to keep my girls healthy but i want them to get out of their run too. The new hens would still be in the dog kennel but its a chain link one and they can stick their heads out and the others can stick there heads in.

 

[JenniferNgo]

Heads in is ok as long as either party can get away if needed. Does that make sense..? They will peck each other, that is the nature of chickens. I have a barred rock who pecks my border collie asserting her pecking order in the flock! (he doesn't care, just sort of looks at her like ...whatEVER!)

 

[holderh]

LOL thats funny...One of my dogs is like that and the other not a good chicken companion. We have to put her up when the chicks our out of the run. Thanks for your response. I was just worried about disease and such. I was thinking tho if they look good for a couple of weeks and show no signs of sickness it should be fine to let my other girls out so long as these others were penned up still. I guess i was worried cause they still are missing feathers. We have never brought in new chickens before so i am a little worry some about it!

 

[galanie]

If the purpose of the quarantine is to keep possible disease from getting into your flock, then having them be able to touch each other won't exactly keep that from happening. But if you are willing to risk that and only want to be sure they don't beat up each other, then you're ok with what you have.

 

[7L Farm]

I'd be very concerned about adding feather plucker's to my flock. I personally wouldn't do it. I have big problems with a flock that are feather plucker's & I'm telling you its a bad habit & can't be stopped . It's unreal the agony I have gone through & my flock looks like they have been at war & definitely lost the battle. Just My Opinion.