Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I live on a few acres but don't really have a suitable location or set up to quarantine any new birds. I want to grow my flock by adding some purebreds, but trying to consider the best way to do it safely. Of course, I'm not very patient...but trying my best.

I ASSUME the safest way would be to wait for a hen to go broody (I have one that raised chicks last August in with all the other chickens) and then quickly find some eggs of the breeds I want. That could be a long wait....or it might never happen.

What about buying chicks? Safe? But then I have to worry about separate housing until they are of an age to join the others.

What about buying pullets? From a hatchery...or from Kijiji-Jane down the road. This idea scares me a little. But what if it was someone with references, like someone from PTO? Safer then??

Anyone care to share your non-quarantine experiences?

I quarantine. Learned my lesson years ago. Not worth the hassle of the buy, then the medicating, and then....the loss of already owned birds. Really a financial and time killer along with the birds if you don't put the time into the quarantine. Especially if you buy blind.....in an auction or Kijiji- Jane. When I get day olds or very young, as they need separate heat, feed, housing etc because of age, they are kept separate. When old enough, I just put them with the flocks. By the time they hit the gang, I figure they are immune to what is here, I've detected a health issue and dispatched them or they have already gone to birdy heaven. I don't feel it is such a financial loss or time waster with those really young ones.

I always guarantine any new birds brought in for 30 days about 200 feet from my main pens even if I know they came from a good place so to speak . When I showed pigeons , rabbits ,chickens etc I also put in my quarantine pens for 30 days when I brought them back from shows . The last ten days I put in a less valuable one in from my own stock to see if the new or the old had something to transmit one another . Ditto to what Epona said . Luck

you can quarantine even as easily as a dog crate on a back porch in nice weather.....as long as they're about 200 feet downwind from your other birds. or a dog crate in the basement/garage.....
also by going from your birds first and then washing and handling new birds you will not spread anything on you from your new birds back to the old....but always deal with your birds FIRST and then the new birds and thoroughly wash and change footwear etc before going back to your birds.
but yes, quarantine is best...just in case. most of us learn it the hard way, cutting corners or thinking i trust this person so i won't.....
don't tempt fate....unless you are prepared to start over from scratch potentially.

Buy chicks or hatch out eggs, quarantine doesn't guarantee they don't still carry something that will kill the rest of your birds. They may look and seem healthy under quarantine for a month when in reality they still carry something that doesn't bother them anymore but could still kill yours.

I have to agree with Kenya. I'm terrified to bring birds in even from people I know and trust. Chickens with great and careful keepers can still have something that could wipe out your flock. I've been awfully tempted many times though.

kenya wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:28 pm

Buy chicks or hatch out eggs, quarantine doesn't guarantee they don't still carry something that will kill the rest of your birds. They may look and seem healthy under quarantine for a month when in reality they still carry something that doesn't bother them anymore but could still kill yours.

Agree Kenya that's why I always put some of my culls in with them hopefully to double check but still never for sure . Then yu do all this & a wild critter drops a bugger near by & boom yu loose some anyway even if yu didn't bring new in . Old saying "if it breaths it dies " eventually luck

Agree Ross, sometimes you just have to take a chance.

the wild birds eating from your bird feed have as much potential to bring in problems as anything else. tough laws in quebec that poultry must be fully caged - at all sides at all times. this was true 8 years ago during the bird flu scares.

there is no perfect answer and "risk" is everywhere so make reasonable precautions and take the risk.