What you should do before introducing more pigeons to your already existing birdsr

[Quacking Pigeon]

Today I’m going to talk about the do’s and don’ts of introducing new pigeons to your already existing flock.

Do’s
-Keep new pigeons separate in an area far away from your pigeons for about 4-6 weeks quarantine (as you wouldn’t want to just risk loosing all your birds from an illness).

-(WHAT I DO) So I would wash my new pigeons before putting them in the quarantine area, just to get all that stuff off their feet from the other place and also to feel the bird and check it looks healthy and keep a mental note of it.

-Watch the new birds behavior and stance. They will most likely be standing still and not doing much (which is normal). A healthy bird will have a great stance. You should write down how the birds look.

-Give the new birds apple cider vinegar in their water. Now this apparently is good for them but just get other people’s opinions on that first.

-Add more points if you feel like it.

Don’ts
-Don’t put the pigeons with your other pigeons right away (no excuses)

-Don’t buy sick birds in the first place (unless you get no say, I am with you as it’s happened to me.... once)

-Don’t keep sick birds with healthy ones (just why would you do that)

-Add more points if you feel like it.

This is just some of the do’s and don’ts I have. Feel free to add more and share stories.

 

[biophiliac]

What about vaccinations? Do you have any thoughts on that?

 

[LamarshFish]

One additional thing to consider. When quarantining birds, if you have the resources, it is best to quarantine the birds in pairs or small groups. For example, if you have 10 new birds to quarantine, keep them in 5 groups of 2. That way if there is illness, you already have it isolated to some degree and will have a better chance of preventing it spreading and also an easier time treating affected birds.

My birds' water always has ACV and garlic in it. Only time it doesn't is a few times a month they have water with only probiotics in it for a day or so.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

@biophiliac yes vaccines are important. I don’t vaccinated my birds because they are too old and I’m not sure where I would get the vaccines and the price. I’ve seen some available in Melbourne I think.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

@LamarshFish Good points about quarantine and what the birds have in their water.

 

[Crzytrkr]

Quarteen, quarteen, quarteen 2 to three weeks I know it sucks but if u don't yull be picking up dead birds with tears running down your face! That's how important it is trust me friend.
Good luck!
Crzytrkr

 

[Carloscarloscarlos]

Do you have to quarantine birds if they come from a healthy flock? I only have one Pigeon that i have rescued .and I want to get her a mate ? I know a guy with a flock thats will give me a male ? Should I still quarantine him ?

 

[CCsGarden]

Do you have to quarantine birds if they come from a healthy flock? I only have one Pigeon that i have rescued .and I want to get her a mate ? I know a guy with a flock thats will give me a male ? Should I still quarantine him ?

I would just to be on the safe side. Or at least give vitamins in water to both to help prevent any sickness.

 

[Qwerty3159]

It’s always worth it to quarantine new birds. You’ll want to check over the new one for external parasites like mites and lice. Also quarantining the new bird will give you a chance to observe its behavior for a few days. Pay attention to the droppings and any signs of sneezing, etc. If all seems well and you want to cut the quarantine short, you could but I think your current pigeon will be okay on its own for a bit longer.

 

[Wangxian520]

Do you have to quarantine birds if they come from a healthy flock? I only have one Pigeon that i have rescued .and I want to get her a mate ? I know a guy with a flock thats will give me a male ? Should I still quarantine him ?

If you want to introduce a male to her to prevent her from being lonely, at least quarantine him for a week. When he gets home you can do a permethrin dip to get rid of external parasites like mites. Some fanciers who wants to introduce bird fast also feed garlic to their birds to rid of internal parasites. Also if you're introducing a male, he might get aggressive. So you need to put him a separate cage anyways, put him where your female can see him. Let them get aquatinted with other before putting them together.