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 Habitat in
Brentwood, New York
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Brentwood New York,
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. Brentwood
New York also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Brentwood New York, 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 Brentwood NY.
Baby Chicks Male Or Female in
Brentwood, New York
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Brentwood New York
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
Brentwood New York * 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 Brentwood
New York * 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 Male Or Female in
Brentwood, New York
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
Brentwood New York 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 Brentwood,
New York Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
challenging to stand up to,
however it's best to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
proper products, however
additionally the proper
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you just should supply them with the following: A tidy and warm
habitat Plenty of food and also water Focus and
love Environment Your environment could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
supply them with a heat source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work extremely well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can use
up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and every week this can
be lowered by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource should be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
other edge of your warmth
light, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not merely snuggling),
you should put some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
typically as well as
constantly supply clean
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quick
which calls for lots of clean
food and water. Give
sufficient in any way times and also check
typically to
stop dehydrated and
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
very first 2 months, then
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
see their actions, you can
capture disease or various
other issues earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Be sure to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea could cause matted plumes and also clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to watch out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also move outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages to get more information
about coops and also
appropriate coop habitats.
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