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 Chicks And Ducks in
Springer, New Mexico
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Springer New Mexico,
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. Springer
New Mexico also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Springer New Mexico, 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 Springer NM.
Baby Quail Chicks For
Sale in
Springer, New Mexico
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Springer New Mexico
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
Springer New Mexico * 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 Springer
New Mexico * 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 Raising in
Springer, New Mexico
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
Springer New Mexico 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 Springer,
New Mexico Baby chicks are extremely
charming and also
hard to resist,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
correct materials, yet
also the proper
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you just need
to give them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
habitat Plenty of food as well
as water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, aquarium,
cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. 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 a pet bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you should
supply them with a heat source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could use
up to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
as well as each week this could
be minimized by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The warmth source should be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you should put some heat.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linens
typically and
consistently give clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand really fast
which requires plenty of tidy
food and water. Supply
enough in any way times and examine
typically to prevent dehydrated and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
dust baths, while others won't take
up that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to shower in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you and also
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
enjoy their behavior, you can
capture health problem or other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other harmful
indications. Make certain to
additionally take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted plumes and stopped up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to watch out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
and also relocate outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to read more
regarding cages and
correct coop habitats.
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