How to Introduce New Chickens into your Flock, part 2
[This article is part of a series that addresses the question of how to introduce new chickens into your existing flock, along with several related questions. To see all articles in this series, visit .]
Disease and Parasites
When you introduce new chickens to your flock, you run the risk of also introducing new diseases or parasites to your flock. If you take your chickens to poultry shows, then you run that same risk when you reintroduce chickens that were taken to the show back into your main flock.
Quarantine
The best and most effective way to protect your flock from diseases introduced by new chickens is to quarantine them. When you quarantine a chicken or several chickens, you keep them separate from the rest of the flock for an extended time period. We recommend a quarantine of at least 30 days.
During the quarantine, care for the quarantined chickens normally, giving them food and water, but do not allow any contact with the existing flock. Thoroughly wash your hands and disinfect your feet and anything else that comes in contact with these chickens or their environment or manure. We carry several that work well.
While the chickens are in quarantine, watch them closely for any signs of parasites, such as mites, and for any signs of disease, such as respiratory problems, or mucus discharges from the chickens’ eyes or nostrils.
Another Precaution
Chickens in a flock can build up an immunity to a disease yet still be carriers of that disease. If your new chickens have such an immunity and are disease carriers, the quarantine described above won’t be enough, and the new chickens could still introduce disease into your flock undetected.
There is a way to guard against this. It involves a little risk, but it minimizes the risk of infecting the main flock. Take one chicken from your main flock and move it into the quarantine with the new birds. Keep that chicken with your other quarantined birds for the entire quarantine period. Watch her closely. If she begins to develop any signs of disease, it is likely that she was infected by the new birds, so in that case, do not introduce the new birds into the flock. On the other hand, if she makes it through the quarantine period without any signs of disease, then you can be reasonably sure that it is safe to introduce her and the new birds into your flock.
With this approach, you run the risk of losing one chicken from your main flock to disease, but you greatly reduce the risk of losing your entire flock.
Baby Chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery
Murray McMurray Hatchery takes a to make sure that any baby chicks you receive from us are healthy and free of disease. This eliminates any concern you may have about the baby chicks introducing disease to your existing flock, but there are still some things to consider.
Baby chicks are not able to defend themselves against larger, more mature chickens, so they should be raised separately until they reach maturity. Second, if you have any concerns about disease or parasites in your existing flock, take proper precautions to make sure that you don’t risk introducing it to your new chickens.
In next week’s article, I will discuss how to integrate the new chickens into your existing flock.
Baby Chicks House in
Hackleburg, Alabama
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Hackleburg Alabama,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Hackleburg
Alabama also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Hackleburg Alabama, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Hackleburg AL.
Baby Chickens Facts in
Hackleburg, Alabama
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Hackleburg Alabama
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Hackleburg Alabama * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Hackleburg
Alabama * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby
Chickens How To Care in
Hackleburg, Alabama
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Hackleburg Alabama is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Hackleburg,
Alabama Baby chicks are really
cute and
hard to stand up to,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
right products, but
additionally the appropriate
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you simply should supply them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
habitat Lots of food and water Interest and also
love Environment Your habitat could be a
simple box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also require
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food and a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
supply them with a warmth source.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also each week this can
be lowered by
about 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource need to get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your warmth
light, you have to
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you need to add some heat.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to alter
the bed linens
typically and also
always provide tidy
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand really fast
which requires a lot of tidy
food and water. Give
enough at all times and inspect
often to
stop thirsty and
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others will not use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will most
likely bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
view their behavior, you could
catch illness or other problems previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other harmful
signs. Be sure to
additionally look at
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted plumes and obstructed cloaca.
Finally, it is important to look out
for social problems, such as the
littlest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also relocate outside into a
coop. Have a look at our
section on chicken cages to get more information
regarding cages as well as
correct coop environments.
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