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 Chickens And
Baby Ducks in
Hopkins Park, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Hopkins Park Illinois,
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. Hopkins Park
Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Hopkins Park Illinois, 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 Hopkins Park IL.
Baby Chickens Mail in
Hopkins Park, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Hopkins Park Illinois
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
Hopkins Park Illinois * 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 Hopkins Park
Illinois * 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 Names in
Hopkins Park, Illinois
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
Hopkins Park Illinois 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 Hopkins Park,
Illinois Baby chicks are extremely
adorable and
difficult to withstand,
yet it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
appropriate products, but
likewise the proper
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely have to give them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Attention and also
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank,
pet cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You likewise need
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you need to
provide them with a warmth resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
as well as each week this could
be lowered by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The warmth source should be on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you have to include some heat.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is crucial and it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to change
the bed linen
usually and
consistently offer clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand very quickly
which requires a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Supply
sufficient at all times and also inspect
often to prevent parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't take
up that activity till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their actions, you can
capture health problem or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Make certain to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted feathers and blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
as well as move outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages for more information
concerning cages and
appropriate cage environments.
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