rush when buying chickens. A hasty purchase may come back to peck you!
Purchasing from a breeder is usually the safest option. A reputable breeder should be happy to answer all your questions and will want to ensure that you are satisfied with your chickens.
Some suppliers of poultry housing also sell chickens – and some chickenbreeders can supply coops. You may be offered a complete package of hens, house and accessories, but look carefully at what is included and check that it’s suitable for your requirements. Make sure the house is up to standard, equipment is good quality and that you are getting healthy hens from a reliable source.
A few garden centres and pet shops now sell chickens, as well as housing and supplies. Quality can be variable, while the assistants may have little experience of chickens. Buying chickens from a shop is often more expensive than from a breeder, choice will be limited and there may be little information about the birds themselves.
There are also auctions of poultry, which are exciting but can be risky.
Buying from a breeder
Chicken breeders advertise in poultry magazines (see Further Reference), and most of the popular breeds and hybrids are offered. Many of the larger breeders have websites.
Ask around too – if you can find someone through personal recommendation so much the better.
Try to find a suitable breeder close to home. Apart from being more convenient, this saves subjecting your new chickens to a long and stressful journey. It will also be easier if it’s necessary to return any birds.
Some breeders are enthusiasts specializing in only a few pure-breeds. They will often have won awards at shows and may have surplus stock for sale – usually birds unsuitable for showing but fine as domestic chickens. If you want a particular breed, this is a good way of obtaining chickens from an expert. Specialist breeders can be tracked down through the relevant breed society.
Buying from a poultry breeder
Larger breeders will offer a wider selection. Some breeders sell both pure-breeds and hybrids, while some concentrate on one or the other.
Hybrid hens are usually available all year round, while spring/summer is the best time to buy pure-breeds. Breeders can only raise so many birds at one time, so if you have set your heart on a popular breed, you may have to wait until they are ready.
Looking around
Try to visit one or two breeders before you are ready to buy your chickens. You can have a look around, discuss your requirements and put your name on a waiting list if necessary. Some breeders will expect you to make an appointment before visiting, but should be happy to show you their stock and take an order for the future. Going without the intention to buy also makes it easier to walk away if you are unhappy about anything.
The birds should be kept in clean, spacious conditions. Overcrowding in a dirty, damp environment is the cause of diseases in young chickens, especially coccidiosis, a parasitic disease of the intestines which often results in death.
The chickens should be bright and alert. Are any sitting hunched in a corner? This is a sign of bad health and poor husbandry too, as they should have been removed. The chickens’ eyes, nostrils and rear ends should be clean with no discharge. Feathers should be bright, shiny and intact.
Ask whether the young birds have been vaccinated and against which diseases. These might include: coccidiosis, infectious bronchitis, Marek’s disease, mycoplasma, Newcastle disease and salmonella. Vaccinations can only be given at a young age and shouldn’t need repeating.
Ask if you can see the parent birds. They also should be bright and healthy. How do they react to their keeper? Ask about flightiness and ease of taming.
The breeder should be happy to give you help and advice, as well as being prepared to exchange any unsatisfactory birds.
A word of warning
There are some unscrupulous breeders motivated more by profit than
Purchasing from a breeder is usually the safest option. A reputable breeder should be happy to answer all your questions and will want to ensure that you are satisfied with your chickens.
Some suppliers of poultry housing also sell chickens – and some chickenbreeders can supply coops. You may be offered a complete package of hens, house and accessories, but look carefully at what is included and check that it’s suitable for your requirements. Make sure the house is up to standard, equipment is good quality and that you are getting healthy hens from a reliable source.
A few garden centres and pet shops now sell chickens, as well as housing and supplies. Quality can be variable, while the assistants may have little experience of chickens. Buying chickens from a shop is often more expensive than from a breeder, choice will be limited and there may be little information about the birds themselves.
There are also auctions of poultry, which are exciting but can be risky.
Buying from a breeder
Chicken breeders advertise in poultry magazines (see Further Reference), and most of the popular breeds and hybrids are offered. Many of the larger breeders have websites.
Ask around too – if you can find someone through personal recommendation so much the better.
Try to find a suitable breeder close to home. Apart from being more convenient, this saves subjecting your new chickens to a long and stressful journey. It will also be easier if it’s necessary to return any birds.
Some breeders are enthusiasts specializing in only a few pure-breeds. They will often have won awards at shows and may have surplus stock for sale – usually birds unsuitable for showing but fine as domestic chickens. If you want a particular breed, this is a good way of obtaining chickens from an expert. Specialist breeders can be tracked down through the relevant breed society.
Buying from a poultry breeder
Larger breeders will offer a wider selection. Some breeders sell both pure-breeds and hybrids, while some concentrate on one or the other.
Hybrid hens are usually available all year round, while spring/summer is the best time to buy pure-breeds. Breeders can only raise so many birds at one time, so if you have set your heart on a popular breed, you may have to wait until they are ready.
Looking around
Try to visit one or two breeders before you are ready to buy your chickens. You can have a look around, discuss your requirements and put your name on a waiting list if necessary. Some breeders will expect you to make an appointment before visiting, but should be happy to show you their stock and take an order for the future. Going without the intention to buy also makes it easier to walk away if you are unhappy about anything.
The birds should be kept in clean, spacious conditions. Overcrowding in a dirty, damp environment is the cause of diseases in young chickens, especially coccidiosis, a parasitic disease of the intestines which often results in death.
The chickens should be bright and alert. Are any sitting hunched in a corner? This is a sign of bad health and poor husbandry too, as they should have been removed. The chickens’ eyes, nostrils and rear ends should be clean with no discharge. Feathers should be bright, shiny and intact.
Ask whether the young birds have been vaccinated and against which diseases. These might include: coccidiosis, infectious bronchitis, Marek’s disease, mycoplasma, Newcastle disease and salmonella. Vaccinations can only be given at a young age and shouldn’t need repeating.
Ask if you can see the parent birds. They also should be bright and healthy. How do they react to their keeper? Ask about flightiness and ease of taming.
The breeder should be happy to give you help and advice, as well as being prepared to exchange any unsatisfactory birds.
A word of warning
There are some unscrupulous breeders motivated more by profit than
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