An easily avoidable disaster that can befall poultry enthusiasts is the introduction of disease into their flock. It can be a huge cost both financially and emotionally, to build up a valuable breed or line of poultry, only to have them jeopardised by the introduction of a diseased bird into the group.

Quarantine is derived from the French word 'quarante' (forty) and originally described a period of isolation for 40 days. Traditionally, it was applied to ships in port, but it remains a very effective method of reducing the risk of disease entering a flock of poultry. The following suggestions are based on an article by Dr David Madill, a veterinarian specialising in avian medicine, and serve as a guideline for the introduction of new birds to your flock.