A family friend has a flock of 9 chickens including a rooster, I have 13 hens and id really like to borrow the rooster so my chickens can lay fertile eggs and have babies. Is it safe to do this with another chicken from another flock in my flock for a while?
Wyandotter
Joined
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4,047 Posts
Think biosecurity.
I recommend that you quarantine the rooster away from your flock for at least 30 days minimum as not to introduce disease(s) or parasites to your existing flock.
Poultry diseases have incubation periods and course times.
For example: If the rooster is exposed to ILT (Infectious Laryngotracheitis,) symptoms will be seen in about 6 to 12 days after exposure. That is called the incubation period.
If you immediately introduce the infected rooster to your hens within the incubation period, you wont see symptoms right away, but you will see symptoms in time, including your hens. Since ILT is a virus, there is no treatment and severe forms of the disease cause death.
Then you will have to cull your flock, disinfect everything, and wait at least 4 weeks or more before repopulating.
ILT generally has a course time of 2 weeks but surviving birds remain carriers for life, meaning the disease can easily be spread to newly acquired birds.
There are diseases that are passed through eggs. Depending on the severity of whatever the disease, sick birds dont lay eggs.
I recommend that you quarantine the rooster away from your flock for at least 30 days minimum as not to introduce disease(s) or parasites to your existing flock.
Poultry diseases have incubation periods and course times.
For example: If the rooster is exposed to ILT (Infectious Laryngotracheitis,) symptoms will be seen in about 6 to 12 days after exposure. That is called the incubation period.
If you immediately introduce the infected rooster to your hens within the incubation period, you wont see symptoms right away, but you will see symptoms in time, including your hens. Since ILT is a virus, there is no treatment and severe forms of the disease cause death.
Then you will have to cull your flock, disinfect everything, and wait at least 4 weeks or more before repopulating.
ILT generally has a course time of 2 weeks but surviving birds remain carriers for life, meaning the disease can easily be spread to newly acquired birds.
There are diseases that are passed through eggs. Depending on the severity of whatever the disease, sick birds dont lay eggs.
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