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 Male Or Female in
Shickley, Nebraska
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Shickley Nebraska,
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. Shickley
Nebraska also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Shickley Nebraska, 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 Shickley NE.
Baby Chickens
Black in
Shickley, Nebraska
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Shickley Nebraska
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
Shickley Nebraska * 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 Shickley
Nebraska * 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 Order in
Shickley, Nebraska
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
Shickley Nebraska 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 Shickley,
Nebraska Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
challenging to resist,
yet it's best to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by collecting not only the
correct materials, but
additionally the appropriate
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you simply have to supply them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
environment Lots of food and also water Interest and
love Habitat Your environment can be a basic box, aquarium,
feline carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks use straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You additionally require
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet store. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a warmth resource.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to two months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also weekly this could
be minimized by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The heat resource ought
to be on just one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
other corner of your heat
lamp, you have to
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you should put some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to alter
the bed linens
frequently and
always provide clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite fast
which requires lots of clean
food and water. Provide
sufficient in any way times and check
frequently to avoid parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dust baths, while others will not occupy that activity up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
see their behavior, you could
capture health problem or other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make certain to
also check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could bring about matted plumes as well
as clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is important to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
and also relocate outside into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken cages to find out
more
regarding coops and
correct cage environments.
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