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 How To Care in
Mc Carley, Mississippi
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Mc Carley Mississippi,
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. Mc Carley
Mississippi also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Mc Carley Mississippi, 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 Mc Carley MS.
Baby Chickens Facts in
Mc Carley, Mississippi
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Mc Carley Mississippi
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
Mc Carley Mississippi * 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 Mc Carley
Mississippi * 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 Male Or Female in
Mc Carley, Mississippi
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
Mc Carley Mississippi 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 Mc Carley,
Mississippi Baby chicks are quite
cute and
tough to stand up to,
however it's best to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
right materials, however
likewise the proper
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you just have to supply them with the following: A tidy as well as cozy
habitat Plenty of food and also water Interest as well as
love Environment Your environment can be a
simple box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You also require
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
right into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a heat source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched require a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
and each week this can
be lowered by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat resource must get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you need to put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linens
typically as well as
always provide clean
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which needs a lot of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient in any way times as well
as examine
often to avoid parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Focus and love There are a
few advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their actions, you could
capture ailment or other issues earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
additionally consider
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted feathers and also obstructed cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our
section on chicken coops to read more
concerning coops and
proper cage environments.
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