Getting your Chickens

Getting chickens should be a straightforward process shouldn’t it? You find an advert for the breed or type of chickens you want at a price you can afford and you just go and buy them right?

Well, yes, in theory it’s like that but there Buff Orpingtonare quite a few pit falls where you can be caught out so it’s a good idea to be aware of these before you go to buy chickens. It takes time to set up the right environment for your new arrivals – make sure you have a secure run and housing and have all of the ‘gear’ you need (my list of what to keep in stock might come in useful here).

The birds you pick and take home can very quickly become ill with the stress of the move and pick up any number of diseases. Try to pick the healthiest looking chickens you can. Do not pick birds that are sleepy, wheeze or hold their mouths open (unless it is a hot day), stand fluffed up as if they are cold or birds that have any bubbles or foam in the corner of their eyes. A fit and healthy bird should be active and alert.

Go to Look

If you have arranged to go and ‘buy’ some birds from a breeder, the pressure will be on and it is harder to walk away once you are there if you think the birds aren’t up to scratch. So why not say you would like to have a look at his or her birds with a view to purchasing them but possibly not today? The pressure is off and you can take enough time checking the chickens over and making sure you are buying the right thing.

Where to buy Chickens

I have listed these in order of preference – you are more likely to get better quality birds at the top of this list, not necessarily the cheapest price though!

1. Pure Breeds from a known breeder who has won shows with their birds: These people have spent years on their line of birds, improving them and they are very passionate about the breed and will be able to tell you all about them. They are usually good quality, healthy birds. Breed clubs can often put you in touch with well known breeders

poultry show sale pens

Poultry Show sale pens are usually a safe way to buy reasonable quality chickens

2. From a poultry show. There are often sale pens at shows where you can spend time looking at the birds and choosing the best quality birds. You can even ask advice of others around you or from the experienced show staff. If the show organisers are doing their job properly then they will not allow any birds that look sick to be put into the sale pens. Many of the sale pens at shows will have stock from breeders that are showing their birds and will be of reasonable quality.

3. From a private ad or breeder. These people have usually hatched a few birds themselves or hatch a good number of birds to sell. The quality can be variable so you will need to examine the set-up and of course the birds carefully. Private ads can be found on poultry forums in the for sale areas. If the forum is a good one, they will make sure a location is specified in the title of the post. “The Poultry Forum” –  poultrykeeperforum.com has a Chickens for Sale section and is a good forum for finding birds for sale in the UK.

poultry auction4. From a Poultry Auction. Some dedicated poultry auctions can sometimes have reasonable quality stock but be warned, some of the more common livestock type auctions can be a great place for people to get rid of their sub-standard or unhealthy birds.

Where ever you end up buying your birds from, if you make sure they are fit and healthy, you generally shouldn’t see any problems. If you already have chickens and are adding to your flock then you can be bringing disease in so always remember to quarantine your new birds for at least a week before introducing them to your flock.

5. Hatching your own. Many beginners are starting to hatch their own chickens, especially now that incubator prices have come down and are easier to operate. With sites like eBay advertising hatching eggs, it is often relatively simple finding the breed you want online although hatching eggs that have been through the postal system can be a little hit and miss at times. My page on How to Hatch Eggs gives you a step by step guide to hatching your own.

Finally – Don’t forget to take a box! Most breeders ask you to bring your own carriers or suitably sized cardboard boxes to transport your chickens in.

If you’re using a cardboard box, it’s important to cut some good size slots in the top and the sides to allow sufficient ventilation. Do not put too many chickens into a box. There should be at least a 4 inches of space around each bird so they don’t overheat. Make sure they travel on the back seat or in an estate / open boot and keep the temperature in the car cool during the journey. I have heard of people arriving home to find chickens suffering from heat exhaustion in their box and sadly on one occasion I heard of someone who had dead chickens when they opened the box!

transporting chickens

Chickens should be transported in boxes or crates with good ventilation.

63 Comments

  1. Hi, I have two very attractive 12 week old lemon cuckoo pekin bantams. One is cockle-doodle-doing, so sure he’s a cockerel. The other bantam is similar in size with comb and wattles. Do I assume it’s another cockerel? Is there any other sure way of telling at this stage? Many thanks.

  2. hi just like to say a great site and very informative. I’m just preparing my coop and garden for chickens but was wondering wether it would be better as a novice to start with older established chickens or with younger chickens that aren’t laying yet ?

    • It’s best to buy birds at POL (Point of Lay) – this is usually a few weeks before they come into lay. They have a chance to settle in then before laying.
      As the daylight hours start to decrease, chickens will stop laying until the spring but don’t worry if they don’t start before the spring, they will have matured more and you will get bigger eggs and more of them in the spring.

      Chickens produce the most eggs in their first year – they decrease typically by 10% per year after that.

  3. Hi
    I have been reading you fantastic site – i’m an absolute beginner and this site has been a life saver.
    I really want to get some Sussex breeds but can’t decide between Light, Buff or Speckled. Can I mix them together or would I be better to stick to one particular breed?
    Thanks so much
    Sara

    • You can mix them – but if you ever want to breed from them, you may want to keep like with like. Just don’t mix chickens of different sizes (young and old or Bantam and Largefowl for example) as the smaller birds often can’t defend themselves adequately in the pecking order.

  4. Hi,
    I want to start keeping chickens. Is it best to get them at a particular time of year? Someone has suggested that it would be best to wait now until the Spring. Is that so?
    Thanks. This is a great site.
    Sally

    • People aren’t keen on stocking and growing birds over the winter when the weather is harsh and the grass isn’t growing but in spring everyone has chicks and no point of lay (POL) birds….
      The best time to buy chickens is usually Autumn and early Winter because people have POL birds that they have grown over the summer and don’t want to feed over winter. Show breeders of pure breeds have also selected from their stock and are ready to move on the rest.

  5. I am now proud owner of 3 chickens. I have converted a guinepig house into a coop with roosting area and a ramp down to enclosed run. I have not got a nest box area. Is it ok to put a tray of hay/straw in roosting as a nest???

    • Chickens like to nest in a darkened, private area – a nestbox. They will appreciate you cornering off a small area for them. If they don’t get this, they will probably start to lay elsewhere – in the run or house and then eggs get pecked and eventually, eaten. Once they become egg eaters, it’s a very difficult vice to cure.

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