NEW Chicken Quarantine period.

Dearest Friends,

My dearest baby girl will be having a cute partner soon. I am having the most difficult time figuring out this question! Perhaps you all can help? It is my understanding that the new chicken and I have to go through what seems to be a most tortuous quarantine time of 1 month!!?! Then after that one month I can careful start the introduction process. For the introduction process I plan on placing a dog crate with the new chicken inside my walk in run/ pen so that my chicken can get used to the new chicken. So now to my question. How much space will the new chicken need during the torturous 1 month quarantine? The current set up I have for my chicken is a nice size. I have a walk in pen/run with roof a coop inside. I do NOT have another one of these set ups to house the new chicken during her quarantine and I think it’s insane to have to buy another coop and pen to house the new chicken on the entire opposite side of the house.

How much space does this new chicken need during her quarantine? The same space as my current chicken or is it ok to keep her jailed up in a dog create? Please show me pictures and or share dimensions . This is going to be an NPIP certified chicken. I read that this doesn’t mean anything. Why can’t chickens be simple like dogs? If a dog has a clean bill of health meaning vaccinated and clean it can be introduced to another dog. Thanks for letting men vent. I’m trying to wrap my new chicken head around this dilemma. Yes I know healthy chickens some how have disease that is somehow dormant and then free when they are stressed.

Thanks in advanced!

See attached a picture of what I consider to be a luxurious and spacious area for my current chicken.

I only quaratine my new chickens for twice weeks. It might be different where you live though. Nice coop. Im not sure how big the area for your new chicken must be. Good luck with you new girl.

nursing1894 said:

I read that this doesn’t mean anything. Why can’t chickens be simple like dogs? If a dog has a clean bill of health meaning vaccinated and clean it can be introduced to another dog.

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The whole quarantine thing is not really applicable to all flocks. Especially if you are only adding one chicken to your one chicken.
I would just put chicken with your chicken,, and think in same terms as if you have about dogs.
Real quarantine is somewhat complex, and very few peeps know the correct way to do so. I can write about 2 pages trying to explain that. Most peeps that do their quarantine do a mini one. If their newcomer does not die in that duration of time, they add to flock. If that new member gets sick,,, well they deal with it however.
Remember what you posted and wrote. Chickens can have hidden diseases, that will not show up in the 1 month time very possible. Then even after that month,, things still can go wrong. With chickens,, it is not the same intensity to get a physical equal to humans.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,AND DON'T BE STRESSED

It's a matter of risk management. There are no poultry police so you can do whatever you want. I agree with @cavemanrich and don't think a month of solitary confinement is worth much. Just because the bird in quarantine does not die in thirty days, does not mean it isn't a carrier of some awful disease.

People who are anal about such things and have their family's livelihood on the line will at least put in sentinal birds (canary in the coal mine type of sentinals). Better yet, breed the new bird(s), keep the offspring and destroy the original introduced birds without ever letting them contact the larger flock. Maybe you will luck out and there will not be vertical transmission.. If you are controlling your own recruitment through hatching, then the only reason to bring in new birds is for their genetics, not the bird itself or meat/eggs.

If you are into this thing for the long haul and plan to purchase new birds every year then you might as well get set up to do it without too much fuss or stress. Build a 4'x4' pen somehere out of the way. Include a roof and floor that can be disinfected should the need arise. When not being used for quarantine it can be a hospital, a trap, or a place to temporairly stash a bird that is causing trouble.

Do not add a bird that you feel sorry for.

Do examine the bird for parasites.

Do not get birds that have been at auction or from someone that shows birds.

If you would go into a state of decline if you lose your original bird, get a chick and raise it up. With hideouts in the run, can ce added at 3-4 weeks, but needs much less space.

Most people pretend to quarantine, if you pretend, you may as well not do it. Sharing air space, is not quarantining.

Personally - I have added birds numerous times. To me, healthy looks healthy. But I only add from people like me, that raise up birds like me. Bright eyes, active, eating and laying are good signs of healthy birds. If my income depended on chickens, I would not add new birds. If I had spent generations raising up a genetic line of a breed, I would not add new birds without a true and proper quarantine. Neither of those apply.

Why do you only have one bird? Or do I misunderstand that?

Mrs K

Yes, I agree with previous posters, the full quarantine treatment is rarely used.

Separate coops, sufficiently downwind, different clothes, bleaching stations, daily exams and notes, etc, etc. So much work.

Very expensive or rare birds, a very large flock, or beloved pet birds that you wouldn't want to risk are the main reasons to do a full treatment.

Basically anything that would cause you grief to lose.

Buckingham Palace said:

I only quaratine my new chickens for twice weeks. It might be different where you live though. Nice coop. Im not sure how big the area for your new chicken must be. Good luck with you new girl.

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Thank you! First person on this site to like my coop.

cavemanrich said:

The whole quarantine thing is not really applicable to all flocks. Especially if you are only adding one chicken to your one chicken.
I would just put chicken with your chicken,, and think in same terms as if you have about dogs.
Real quarantine is somewhat complex, and very few peeps know the correct way to do so. I can write about 2 pages trying to explain that. Most peeps that do their quarantine do a mini one. If their newcomer does not die in that duration of time, they add to flock. If that new member gets sick,,, well they deal with it however.
Remember what you posted and wrote. Chickens can have hidden diseases, that will not show up in the 1 month time very possible. Then even after that month,, things still can go wrong. With chickens,, it is not the same intensity to get a physical equal to humans.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,AND DON'T BE STRESSED

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Thank you!

Mrs. K said:

Do not add a bird that you feel sorry for.

Do examine the bird for parasites.

Do not get birds that have been at auction or from someone that shows birds.

If you would go into a state of decline if you lose your original bird, get a chick and raise it up. With hideouts in the run, can ce added at 3-4 weeks, but needs much less space.

Most people pretend to quarantine, if you pretend, you may as well not do it. Sharing air space, is not quarantining.

Personally - I have added birds numerous times. To me, healthy looks healthy. But I only add from people like me, that raise up birds like me. Bright eyes, active, eating and laying are good signs of healthy birds. If my income depended on chickens, I would not add new birds. If I had spent generations raising up a genetic line of a breed, I would not add new birds without a true and proper quarantine. Neither of those apply.

Why do you only have one bird? Or do I misunderstand that?

Mrs K

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Long story Mrs. K. In a nutshell, I rescued her… she came to me… so you have to start somewhere…….. she will have more friends soon. As the cool kids say…. “Peace in the Middle East”
Dr. E

Xoxox

Is that chair in the run still visible under the chicken poop at this point?