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 Mail Order in
Pinedale, Wyoming
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Pinedale Wyoming,
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. Pinedale
Wyoming also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Pinedale Wyoming, 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 Pinedale WY.
Baby Chickens Diet in
Pinedale, Wyoming
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Pinedale Wyoming
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
Pinedale Wyoming * 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 Pinedale
Wyoming * 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 In A Box in
Pinedale, Wyoming
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
Pinedale Wyoming 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 Pinedale,
Wyoming Baby chicks are quite
charming as well as
difficult to resist,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
appropriate materials, however
likewise the proper
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you just should offer them with the following: A
clean and warm
environment Plenty of food and water Focus and also
love Habitat Your habitat can be an easy box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You also require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a heat resource.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and weekly this could
be reduced by
about 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource should get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you have to add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is crucial as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter
the bed linen
often as well as
constantly offer clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which requires plenty of tidy
food and also water. Give
enough in any way times and also examine
often to avoid parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
dust baths, while others won't use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will probably bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their habits, you could
capture illness or various
other issues earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other undesirable
indications. Make certain to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as move outside right into a cage. Have a look at our
area on chicken cages to get more information
concerning coops as well as
proper cage environments.
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