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 Price in
Healdton, Oklahoma
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Healdton Oklahoma,
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. Healdton
Oklahoma also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Healdton Oklahoma, 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 Healdton OK.
Baby Chicks
Diet in
Healdton, Oklahoma
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Healdton Oklahoma
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
Healdton Oklahoma * 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 Healdton
Oklahoma * 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 Diet in
Healdton, Oklahoma
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
Healdton Oklahoma 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 Healdton,
Oklahoma Baby chicks are very
charming as well as
hard to withstand,
but it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
right materials, but
also the correct
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
straightforward, you merely have to provide them with the following: A tidy and warm
habitat Lots of food as well
as water Focus as well as
love Environment Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you have to
provide them with a warmth source.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 levels,
as well as each week this can
be decreased by
around 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource ought
to get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your heat
light, you have to
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not merely cuddling),
you have to include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
often and also
constantly supply tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks expand really fast
which calls for plenty of tidy
food and also water. Give
enough at all times as well
as inspect
frequently to prevent parched and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
then to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will most
likely bond with you and
not flee as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
view their actions, you could
capture ailment or other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
indications. Make sure to
likewise check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could bring about matted feathers and blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also relocate outside into a cage. Look into our
part on chicken coops to get more information
about coops and
appropriate coop environments.
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