FINCHforum

In another month or so, I will be looking for new species to add to my finch townhouse. When I find potential new birds and decide to purchase, is it absolutely mandatory for quarenteen or does it depend on where you buy and the living conditions of which the birds you are wanting to buy?if I bought from a reputable business with clean husbandry, would quarenteen really be necessary? Just asking....

Quarantine is a personal decision, but be aware that quarantine is not only to protect your current flock from anything the new birds might be carrying but it is also to protect your investment in your new birds. They have to get used to a new water supply, which can vary greatly from one area to another, often a new seed mix, new housing. Letting them have this time to adjust to all these new factors in their life, while observing them for any health problems, can make the transition much easier for them.

I will admit that I often adjust quarantine according to where I purchase the birds, which is actually not the wisest thing to do. I often buy/swap birds with friends, and I bring them right home and into my bird room. I have gotten away with it, but that doesn't mean it is the smart thing to do.

If you buy from a business, not a breeder, be aware that it could be that many birds have recently entered those premises from many different sources. If that business has not quarantined, then there is no telling what your birds might have been exposed to.

It is definitely a personal choice. I base quarantining the birds on where I purchased them from. If I know the breeder and have seen where the birds come from, then I place them directly into the aviary.

Birds that I have bought from pet shops, having no idea where they came from, I usually quarantine for 2-3 weeks. So far this has worked out for me but maybe I have just been lucky.

I always go through quarantine. Never trust any breeder in this regard . Sorry

Bhatta wrote: I always go through quarantine. Never trust any breeder in this regard . Sorry

This is the smartest way to think about quarantine. No exceptions.

It's a personal decision, of course, but I really believe quarantine should be mandatory.
It's required in my house after I learned my lesson.

In short, I adopted a seemingly healthy dog from a trusted friend but she had fleas and worms, which got transmitted to everyone! So it took about 2 months and $2000+ to remedy the problem.
I wrote about my experience here:
http://wp.me/p4JWrl-cN

So the more animals you have, the more important quarantine becomes.

Plus, as someone touched upon above, meeting new birds is stressful! So you don't want to put them under the stress of a new environment AND new birds. Better to get them acclimated to the new environment, then do introductions into your aviary or cage.

I always quarantine no matter the source. Even when I sell birds I encourage the buyer to quarantine. Just because an animal looks healthy and does well in it's home environment does not mean they aren't carrying something that will manifest when they are stressed. And that something may or may not be contagious and depending on what other species you have could me more of a problem for your other birds. It is really just an easy and cheap way to offer you birds a little extra protection. And like Sally said...your new bird needs time to adjust to all the NEW they are experiencing. That's so much easier to do without worrying about flock politics.

To further what a few others have stated, the quarantine process isn't just to check the health of the new birds, but also to let them de-stress from the relocation. A few days/weeks to chill out in a quiet area, away from other birds, will have huge benefits down the road. Think of it similarly to the way Caesar Milan explains it with dogs - if the brain is excited there is a higher risk of acting out due to fear, a greater risk of injury due to wild movements, etc. Give them some time to calm down and settle in.

On the disease/illness side of things, keep in mind that there is no guarantee things will be OK just because you took the time for a quarantine period. Like us, birds can develop tolerances/immunities to various diseases over generations. Your new bird may be a carrier of a virus/bacteria that doesn't affect them at all, but it could be deadly to birds that have never been exposed to it. Kinda like how thousands of Native Americas died when folks from Europe started to cross the Atlantic. They brought a host of very basic illnesses the Americans had never been exposed to. They weren't what any of us today would consider "deadly", but it certainly was to folks that had no immunity to it.

My point is simply that you must watch your current flock very closely after introducing new birds. Check in on them much more than usual the first few weeks and be ready to administer broad-based meds if there is any sign of illness.

D

IMHO, Quarantine is a must. It protects all of your birds (existing and new) and helps new birds adjust & settle in. My avian vet insists on a 90 day quarantine...I do anywhere between 60-90 days, depending on who I purchase from (young birds only and from small, private breeders that I know) and where the birds are relocating from. 90% of my finch are from Texas...they arrive by plane and need to adjust to NY living (water, food, time change, quarantine med protocol, etc.). I am expecting an airline shipment this Sunday from Texas...a BCCB hen and a pearl society hen. Both ladies will spend the next 60 days together in a 30x18x18 quarantine cage and then they will be introduced to their mates .

Just because an animal looks healthy and does well in it's home environment does not mean they aren't carrying something that will manifest when they are stressed.

Exactly!

Its a no brainer .

If you have a collection of birds already why risk introducing any potential threat ?
New purchases always need time to settle in and its no harm to be cautious with them .

Mick .