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.
Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in
Thornburg, Iowa
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Thornburg Iowa,
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. Thornburg
Iowa also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Thornburg Iowa, 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 Thornburg IA.
Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in
Thornburg, Iowa
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Thornburg Iowa
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
Thornburg Iowa * 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 Thornburg
Iowa * 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 Chicks Habitat in
Thornburg, Iowa
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
Thornburg Iowa 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 Thornburg,
Iowa Baby chicks are extremely
cute and
tough to stand up to,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
proper materials, however
additionally the proper
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
straightforward, you just have to give them with the following: A
clean and also cozy
habitat Lots of food and also water Interest as well as
love Environment Your environment can be an easy box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You additionally require
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Additionally, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can take up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 and also 100 levels,
as well as every week this can
be minimized by
approximately 5 degrees approximately. The warmth source ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your warmth
light, you have to
reduce the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you need to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is key as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bedding
usually and
constantly offer clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow very fast
which requires a lot of tidy
food and also water. Provide
enough in any way times and also examine
frequently to
stop parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you and also
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
see their behavior, you can
catch health problem or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other harmful
indicators. Be sure to
additionally look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted plumes and also blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
and its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also relocate outside into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken coops to read more
about cages and also
correct cage habitats.
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