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 Hatching in
Saint Clair, Michigan
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Saint Clair Michigan,
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. Saint Clair
Michigan also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Saint Clair Michigan, 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 Saint Clair MI.
Baby Chicks Supplies in
Saint Clair, Michigan
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Saint Clair Michigan
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
Saint Clair Michigan * 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 Saint Clair
Michigan * 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
Raising in
Saint Clair, Michigan
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
Saint Clair Michigan 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 Saint Clair,
Michigan Baby chicks are very
adorable and
challenging to withstand,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
right products, however
also the proper
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you just have to give them with the following: A tidy and warm
environment Lots of food and water Attention and
love Environment Your environment could be a basic box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You likewise require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
provide them with a heat resource.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally work effectively (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can occupy to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
between 90 and 100 levels,
as well as each week this can
be lowered by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The heat source ought
to be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your warmth
lamp, you have to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not just curling up),
you should add some heat.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to alter
the bed linen
often and
constantly provide clean
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which requires lots of tidy
food and also water. Supply
enough at all times and also inspect
often to
stop dehydrated and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not use up that activity until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Focus and love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you as well as
not flee as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
enjoy their habits, you could
catch illness or other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other undesirable
signs. Make sure to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted feathers and clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and move outside into a
coop. Look into our
part on chicken coops to get more information
regarding coops and also
appropriate cage environments.
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