Adding to the Flock

Why Should We Quarantine?

What is quarantining?

That’s a word we’ve definitely heard a lot over the past two years. The definition of quarantine is a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed. We recently rescued a hen who was dumped near our property. With no clue where she came from, what her previous flock was like or experiencing, we had to quarantine. When introducing a new chicken into the flock a quarantine period is important.

Why is quarantine important?

Chickens carry diseases, some worse than others. Respiratory infections may not present themselves right away. So placing your quarantine zone away from your other flock is best practice, preferably down wind. Avian flu, especially this past year‘s the HPAI strain has a very high infection rate. The incubation period is 21 days. And the mortality rate has been extremely high. There are other diseases such as merricks disease, parasites such as mites, lice, and worms that other chickens may not have, but can contract from another chicken. You wouldn’t want to risk the lives of your current flock by bringing in a new member and introducing right away.

How long should a quarantine period be?

A 30 day quarantine should be customary. That may seem like a long time but when introducing a chicken do a new flock you wouldn’t want anyone to transmit diseases that you cannot control. Some only quarantine for two weeks. And some farms or homesteads have different circumstances. As previously mentioned, however the incubation period for avian flu is 21 days. So in that case a two week quarantine is just not enough. The quarantine length should be important especially when you have a small backyard flock.

Introducing a new chicken after the quarantine period is over can also be tricky. Some people in the last week of quarantine will add in a sacrificial hen so to speak. Usually a chicken who is older and not laying anymore is added to the quarantine zone. If in that week no chickens get sick then you know it’s safe. Is this something we plan on doing? No. While I do have three hands who are not laying anymore and who are older I don’t wanna sacrifice their lives just in case. I do have a small backyard flock of 12 chickens. The older hens deserve their retirement and so they will live out on the Homestead relaxing.

Please comment below your quarantine methods or if you have any questions. I hope this blog post has been informative and helpful to you.