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
Eagleville, Missouri
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Eagleville Missouri,
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. Eagleville
Missouri also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Eagleville Missouri, 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 Eagleville MO.
Baby Chicks To Buy in
Eagleville, Missouri
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Eagleville Missouri
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
Eagleville Missouri * 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 Eagleville
Missouri * 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 Coop in
Eagleville, Missouri
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
Eagleville Missouri 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 Eagleville,
Missouri Baby chicks are really
charming and
hard to resist,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
right products, yet
also the correct
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you just need
to provide them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Attention and also
love Environment Your environment could be an easy box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using only
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You additionally require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you could present a perch
into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you need to
give them with a heat resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally function effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could take up to two months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
as well as each week this can
be minimized by
about 5 degrees approximately. The warmth source need to be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you should include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bedding
often and also
always provide tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand quite fast
which needs plenty of tidy
food and also water. Provide
sufficient at all times and also check
usually to
stop parched and
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Interest and love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly most
likely bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
view their actions, you could
catch disease or various
other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Make certain to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is important to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and its time for them to leave the
security of your house
as well as relocate outside into a cage. Check out our
section on chicken coops for more information
regarding cages and also
correct cage habitats.
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