Where To Buy Chickens
Depending on where you live, there are several options as to where to obtain chickens.
Hatchery chicks are generally pet quality, and therefore not suitable for showing. If you want chickens for showing, we recommend you go to a breeder which has had wins with the breed you are after at shows. It is normally best to choose a hatchery within a few states of your home, as the chicks will get there soonest and be in better condition when they get to you.
A lot of hatcheries have a minimum order (usually 25) and if you order less than this, they will add in free males for warmth. If 25 is too many for you, then you can consider splitting the order with a friend.
List of hatcheries
We do not endorse these hatcheries, this list is here for your information. Please let me know about any broken or dead links, or any other hatcheries you know of.
www.belthatchery.com/
hometown.aol.com/benttreepoultry/
www.bergshatchery.com/
www.bowmanpoultry.com/
www.browneggblueegg.com/
www.cacklehatchery.com/
www.calicowoods.com/
www.chickhatchery.com/
shahbazinanatolianshepher...ageckn.htm
www.chukarhatchery.com/
www.darkegg.com/
www.decorahhatchery.com/
www.esteshatchery.com/
www.featheracres.com/
www.frizzlefarm.com/
www.gofflepoultry.com/
www.heartlandhatchery.com/
www.hoovershatchery.com/
nankins.bravepages.com/
www.idealpoultry.com/
www.javachickn.com
www.larryspoultry.com/
www.martipoultry.com/
www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/
metzerfarms.com/
www.meyerhatchery.com/
www.mthealthy.com/
www.oildalechickens.4t.com/
www.privetthatchery.com/
www.reddirtchickenranch.com/
www.rochesterhatchery.com/ (Canadian)
www.rockingt.com/
members.aol.com/birdman40/pheasant.html
www.sandhillpreservation.com/
www.poultrystuff.com/
home.sharednet.com/1stloo...url=shanks
www.shootinstar.net/
www.silverpulletpoultry.com
snomoon.tripod.com/
www.strombergschickens.com/
www.sunrayhatchery.com/
www.chickenzoo.com/
members.aol.com/kbjtc/webp/chicken.html
townlinehatchery.com/
www.historicalturkeys.com/
www.welphatchery.com/
www.windrift.homestead.com/
You can find breeders by going to shows and seeking out someone showing the breed of your choice that day, especially if you are after show quality chickens. If they do not have any birds for sale, they will often be able to recommend someone who does. There are also normally breeders directories in farming magazines (list of these on links page). You can also ask around anyone you know in your area who keeps poultry, as they may either have some for sale or know someone who does. Breeders can be found in every country with chickens, which is probably anywhere other than Antartica!
A major advantage of breeders is that you can usually buy started birds, that is birds older than day old. This enables you to be absolutely certain that you are getting the gender you want, which is very important in towns and cities where roosters are banned. Because of this, this is how I have always bought my chickens. Any good breeder will be only too happy to answer any questions you may have, before during and after the sale.
Hatcheries
In
the USA, there are mail order hatcheries where you can buy many
different breeds of chicken. They are hatched out there, and shipped
out in multiples of 25 at day-old. Large fowl can be vent sexed, and
this has a 90% success rate. You can also buy 'straight run' chicks,
which are not sexed. On average, you will get 50% male and 50% female.
Bantams are too small to be vent sexed and are therefore only sold
straight run. Depending on the breed, you will be looking at paying
between 67¢ and $2.30 for males and between $2 and $4.50 for females.
Straight run can cost between $1.25 and $3.62 (prices taken Jan 07 from
Murray McMurray website).Hatchery chicks are generally pet quality, and therefore not suitable for showing. If you want chickens for showing, we recommend you go to a breeder which has had wins with the breed you are after at shows. It is normally best to choose a hatchery within a few states of your home, as the chicks will get there soonest and be in better condition when they get to you.
A lot of hatcheries have a minimum order (usually 25) and if you order less than this, they will add in free males for warmth. If 25 is too many for you, then you can consider splitting the order with a friend.
List of hatcheries
We do not endorse these hatcheries, this list is here for your information. Please let me know about any broken or dead links, or any other hatcheries you know of.
www.belthatchery.com/
hometown.aol.com/benttreepoultry/
www.bergshatchery.com/
www.bowmanpoultry.com/
www.browneggblueegg.com/
www.cacklehatchery.com/
www.calicowoods.com/
www.chickhatchery.com/
shahbazinanatolianshepher...ageckn.htm
www.chukarhatchery.com/
www.darkegg.com/
www.decorahhatchery.com/
www.esteshatchery.com/
www.featheracres.com/
www.frizzlefarm.com/
www.gofflepoultry.com/
www.heartlandhatchery.com/
www.hoovershatchery.com/
nankins.bravepages.com/
www.idealpoultry.com/
www.javachickn.com
www.larryspoultry.com/
www.martipoultry.com/
www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/
metzerfarms.com/
www.meyerhatchery.com/
www.mthealthy.com/
www.oildalechickens.4t.com/
www.privetthatchery.com/
www.reddirtchickenranch.com/
www.rochesterhatchery.com/ (Canadian)
www.rockingt.com/
members.aol.com/birdman40/pheasant.html
www.sandhillpreservation.com/
www.poultrystuff.com/
home.sharednet.com/1stloo...url=shanks
www.shootinstar.net/
www.silverpulletpoultry.com
snomoon.tripod.com/
www.strombergschickens.com/
www.sunrayhatchery.com/
www.chickenzoo.com/
members.aol.com/kbjtc/webp/chicken.html
townlinehatchery.com/
www.historicalturkeys.com/
www.welphatchery.com/
www.windrift.homestead.com/
Breeders
Breeders
are normally people who have a small farm. They are usually in it for
the pleasure and are trying to break even or make a small profit on
their hobby. Most are selling pure breeds. Breeders are more expensive
than hatcheries, but the birds are often closer to the standard, and
you can see how their parents (and they) have been kept. You can find breeders by going to shows and seeking out someone showing the breed of your choice that day, especially if you are after show quality chickens. If they do not have any birds for sale, they will often be able to recommend someone who does. There are also normally breeders directories in farming magazines (list of these on links page). You can also ask around anyone you know in your area who keeps poultry, as they may either have some for sale or know someone who does. Breeders can be found in every country with chickens, which is probably anywhere other than Antartica!
A major advantage of breeders is that you can usually buy started birds, that is birds older than day old. This enables you to be absolutely certain that you are getting the gender you want, which is very important in towns and cities where roosters are banned. Because of this, this is how I have always bought my chickens. Any good breeder will be only too happy to answer any questions you may have, before during and after the sale.
Feed Stores
US
feed stores often stock chicks around easter time. They buy them in
from hatcheries. You can buy as few as you want, but there is often not
such a good selection. You may also find that people (often children)
have picked up chicks and put them back in the wrong container, leading
to 'rooster from the pullet bin' syndrome. Because of this, sexing
rates may be less accurate than 90% that the hatcheries guarantee. Some
feed stores only stock straight run (equal mix of males and females), and also feed stores are more
expensive than hatcheries as they have to make a profit too!Auctions
Auctions can be dodgy places to get chickens. They are often (but not always) substandard and some are diseased, although some are simply a breeder's surplus stock. This is why I recommend you avoid these places until you are experienced enough to know what to avoid. However, if you do decide to go to an auction, take someone else who is experienced enough to make sure that the lot you are looking at is in fact the breed and age it says it is and isn't diseased etc. Get them to do the bidding for you, as otherwise you could end up paying extortionate amounts for the wrong lot - auctioneers are notoriously hard to understand, and don't buy on impulse. These auctions can be found in almost every country.
Agricultural Shows and Fairs
Poultry shows will often have sale pens, with exhibitors selling some of their spare stock. This is normally a good place to buy chickens as they aren't going to want sub-standard stock displayed and associated with their names. At more general agricultural shows, you can often find someone selling chickens from a stall. For me, this is a dodgy way to buy chickens, in just the same way that auctions are dodgy. If you are undecided on whether or not this is the best place to buy your new chickens, then ask for the name, address and phone number of the vendor and you can always pay them a visit some other time.
Rescue
Rescue centres sometimes have chickens come in. Quite a few of them euthanise them as soon as they come through the door on the principal that no one wants a rescue chicken - but people do. So, ring up your local rescue centres (even if you live in suburbia, or an urban city - a town near me recently had 50 chickens come in to the RSPCA, and they rehomed them all) and inform them that you will take a chicken from them if one comes through their doors. However, you may find that it is a rooster that comes through the door, in which case don't feel guilty about not taking him home if you live in an urban / suburban setting - you'll more than likely just end up having to find a new home for him anyway, if you get complaints from the neighbours about his early-morning crowing.
There are rescues that specialise in farm animals, such as the USA's Farm Sanctuary (although it requires you to be vegetarian / vegan to adopt from there) and the UK's Battery Hen Welfare Trust (which rehomes only ex-battery hens, with no requirements on the new owner's eating habits).
There are rescues that specialise in farm animals, such as the USA's Farm Sanctuary (although it requires you to be vegetarian / vegan to adopt from there) and the UK's Battery Hen Welfare Trust (which rehomes only ex-battery hens, with no requirements on the new owner's eating habits).
City Farms
Most urban areas (at least in the UK) will have a city farm which keeps poultry, as well as other livestock. In the UK, you can find your local city farm on the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens website. Whilst the stock is unlikely to be show quality, they will be well looked after, disease free and usually quite friendly, owing to the number of people around. You are unlikely to find a vast array of breeds, but if they do not have what you are looking for then they will often be able to give you the number of someone who does. You will usually find at least one person working there who is a mine of useful information about poultry, so you can always go along and ask them if you need help before or after you have bought your new chickens. Many do not sell day-old chicks, due to the very real danger of an uninformed person taking the chicks home because they are 'cute' and accidentally killing them because they don't know that they need heat / what food to give them etc. Some will also sell items such as coops. When you buy chickens from a city farm, there is also the advantage that you are supporting an excellent, and well needed, yet usually underfunded charity.
Selecting Birds: Inspection Time
If you're confused about any of this, you can have a look at the anatomy page.
Comb
If you are buying adult hens that are meant to be in lay, then their combs should be red. Cockerels should have redder combs from a younger age. Birds of this age with very pale combs can indicate anaemia, or general illness.
If you are buying chicks or birds that haven't started laying yet (even some point of lay (POL) birds) then it is perfectly acceptable for their combs to be very pale.
Birds of certain breeds are meant to have combs of another colour, such as the Silkie, which has a very dark, sort of black/mulberry comb, and the Sumatra has a black/red comb too. However, if a bird with a large comb has black bits on the tips, this indicates frostbite. This isn't necessarily a health problem (the black bits will simply shrivel up and fall off) but you cannot use the bird for show.
Eyes
Eyes should be bright and alert.
Sunken eyes mean dehydration, caused by either a lack of available drinking water or disease so severe it doesn't want to drink.
Birds can have a discharge coming from their eyes. This could be thick and pus-like, or watery and bubbly. The latter indicates mycoplasma. However, some breeds such as Indian Game show bubbly eyes when they are completely healthy.
Beak
Make sure that the bird hasn't got a twisted beak. Birds with a twisted beak need their beaks trimmed regularly (probably by the vet, which is expensive) and extra deep feed bowls so that they can sort of scoop up the feed with the lower part of their beak. These birds cannot be used for showing or breeding, as it is a genetic condition.
The beak should also not be overgrown.
Nostrils
Check for signs of discharge. If there is, it's a sign of disease. However, sometimes it won't come out of the nostrils because they're already blocked with said discharge. Open up the beak and have a look for any discharge around the back of the mouth, also checking that the mucus membranes are nice and pink. Large amounts of discharge indicate infection.
Crop
Feel the crop (located at the base of the neck). It should be roughly golf ball sized, but it fills up during the course of the day and then what hasn't been digested during the day is digested at night.
If it is part way through the day, and the crop is empty, the bird isn't eating. This could be a sign of disease or due to the fact that she is at the bottom of the pecking order and isn't being allowed to eat by the others, although the former is more likely.
If it is large and pendulous, then squeeze it and sniff it's breath as you do it. If the breath smells nasty then it has sour crop - this is a bird better avoided.
If the food in the crop is a hard ball then it has impacted crop. This can be easily cured, and often won't reoccur, so this shouldn't put you off a bird that is otherwise the best of the lot.
Plumage
The feathers should be smooth, soft and shiny. Gently part the feathers and check for any lice. Sometimes they are all over the body, and other times they are all around the vent.
Vent
The vent should be clean, pink and smooth. If it is crusted over then it has vent gleet. This is hard to cure, so avoid it. Make sure that there are no lice, or lice eggs, which are seen at the bottom of the shaft of the feathers, as white clumps. If you bring a bird like that home then your current chickens will get infested too.
The feathers around the vent should be clean and fluffy. If they are covered in feces then it is a sign of dirhorrea, which could mean any number of diseases.
Legs
The legs should be smooth and with no raised scales. If the scales are raised, then it has scaly leg mites, a hard-to-cure condition that is not very pleasant for the bird and can easily be passed onto your existing birds.
Body Condition
Feel the breast bone ("keel") and breast meat. If the bird's keel is very sharp, then the bird is underweight, which could indicate an underlying disease. However, some young and in-lay birds can be naturally a bit thin, so it takes a bit of skill that is only really aquired with time.
If you can barely feel the breast bone, then the bird is overweight. It is also best to avoid this, as being overweight can lead to prolapse, which is basically when they expel their own organs through their vent - not nice.
Comb
If you are buying adult hens that are meant to be in lay, then their combs should be red. Cockerels should have redder combs from a younger age. Birds of this age with very pale combs can indicate anaemia, or general illness.
If you are buying chicks or birds that haven't started laying yet (even some point of lay (POL) birds) then it is perfectly acceptable for their combs to be very pale.
Birds of certain breeds are meant to have combs of another colour, such as the Silkie, which has a very dark, sort of black/mulberry comb, and the Sumatra has a black/red comb too. However, if a bird with a large comb has black bits on the tips, this indicates frostbite. This isn't necessarily a health problem (the black bits will simply shrivel up and fall off) but you cannot use the bird for show.
Eyes
Eyes should be bright and alert.
Sunken eyes mean dehydration, caused by either a lack of available drinking water or disease so severe it doesn't want to drink.
Birds can have a discharge coming from their eyes. This could be thick and pus-like, or watery and bubbly. The latter indicates mycoplasma. However, some breeds such as Indian Game show bubbly eyes when they are completely healthy.
Beak
Make sure that the bird hasn't got a twisted beak. Birds with a twisted beak need their beaks trimmed regularly (probably by the vet, which is expensive) and extra deep feed bowls so that they can sort of scoop up the feed with the lower part of their beak. These birds cannot be used for showing or breeding, as it is a genetic condition.
The beak should also not be overgrown.
Nostrils
Check for signs of discharge. If there is, it's a sign of disease. However, sometimes it won't come out of the nostrils because they're already blocked with said discharge. Open up the beak and have a look for any discharge around the back of the mouth, also checking that the mucus membranes are nice and pink. Large amounts of discharge indicate infection.
Crop
Feel the crop (located at the base of the neck). It should be roughly golf ball sized, but it fills up during the course of the day and then what hasn't been digested during the day is digested at night.
If it is part way through the day, and the crop is empty, the bird isn't eating. This could be a sign of disease or due to the fact that she is at the bottom of the pecking order and isn't being allowed to eat by the others, although the former is more likely.
If it is large and pendulous, then squeeze it and sniff it's breath as you do it. If the breath smells nasty then it has sour crop - this is a bird better avoided.
If the food in the crop is a hard ball then it has impacted crop. This can be easily cured, and often won't reoccur, so this shouldn't put you off a bird that is otherwise the best of the lot.
Plumage
The feathers should be smooth, soft and shiny. Gently part the feathers and check for any lice. Sometimes they are all over the body, and other times they are all around the vent.
Vent
The vent should be clean, pink and smooth. If it is crusted over then it has vent gleet. This is hard to cure, so avoid it. Make sure that there are no lice, or lice eggs, which are seen at the bottom of the shaft of the feathers, as white clumps. If you bring a bird like that home then your current chickens will get infested too.
The feathers around the vent should be clean and fluffy. If they are covered in feces then it is a sign of dirhorrea, which could mean any number of diseases.
Legs
The legs should be smooth and with no raised scales. If the scales are raised, then it has scaly leg mites, a hard-to-cure condition that is not very pleasant for the bird and can easily be passed onto your existing birds.
Body Condition
Feel the breast bone ("keel") and breast meat. If the bird's keel is very sharp, then the bird is underweight, which could indicate an underlying disease. However, some young and in-lay birds can be naturally a bit thin, so it takes a bit of skill that is only really aquired with time.
If you can barely feel the breast bone, then the bird is overweight. It is also best to avoid this, as being overweight can lead to prolapse, which is basically when they expel their own organs through their vent - not nice.
Transport
Before you set off for the seller, you must consider how you will transport your new purchases home.
My personal recommendation is to get one cardboard box per bird, with holes punched through the sides for air. The box shouldn't be so big that they can walk, slide or flap around - that will only cause stress for the bird. However, it should be big enough for the bird to breath and stand up. Alternatively, if you have one, then a cat box is a good alternative, especially since cage cups can be put on the door to provide food and water.
If you choose to put more than one bird in the same box, then whatever you do, don't put birds that haven't been in the same pen before. These birds will fight it out in the back of the car to see who is top of the pecking order. Don't mix sexes or the hen will be repeatedly raped by the cockerel. Don't put two cockerels together or they will probably fight, possibly to the death, and they can inflict serious injuries on each other. In short, only ever put two hens who were in the same pen together before together in the same box.
If you are going to be transporting birds regularly, then I recommend you invest in something like this:
My personal recommendation is to get one cardboard box per bird, with holes punched through the sides for air. The box shouldn't be so big that they can walk, slide or flap around - that will only cause stress for the bird. However, it should be big enough for the bird to breath and stand up. Alternatively, if you have one, then a cat box is a good alternative, especially since cage cups can be put on the door to provide food and water.
If you choose to put more than one bird in the same box, then whatever you do, don't put birds that haven't been in the same pen before. These birds will fight it out in the back of the car to see who is top of the pecking order. Don't mix sexes or the hen will be repeatedly raped by the cockerel. Don't put two cockerels together or they will probably fight, possibly to the death, and they can inflict serious injuries on each other. In short, only ever put two hens who were in the same pen together before together in the same box.
If you are going to be transporting birds regularly, then I recommend you invest in something like this:
This is what anybody turning up to a
show should use (you'll get funny looks if you turn up with a bird in a
cardboard box). They provide individual accomodation for each bird,
with ventilation and easy access so the bird cannot get past you when
you go to retrieve it. Unlike cardboard boxes, they can be used over
and over again.
Home At Last!
Now you've got your new purchases home, they need names.
You also need to isolate them. This means keeping the new arrivals separate from your current flock for at least two weeks. Doing this means that you can be sure they haven't got any infectious diseases that could harm the rest of your flock. Of course, if your new chickens are your only poultry, this stage can be skipped.
If you do already have chickens that will be sharing accomodation with the new ones, you need to introduce them. Not doing this can lead to bullying, cannibalism and even death.
To introduce them, you can take one of two approaches:
See How It Goes
Chuck the new chickens in with the old ones. Watch them constantly for about an hour or so, and if all of the old chickens are attacking the new ones, then take out all the new ones, and proceed with the "softly softly" approach. If there are only a few chickens picking on the new ones, then remove them and use the "softly, softly" approach.
Softly, Softly
This consists of letting the chickens see each other, but not being able to touch each other. Put the new/aggressive chickens in a coop and run by the rest of the flock. Make sure that they can see each other through the wire, and have separate coops etc. Leave them like this for a couple of weeks, and then "see how it goes".
You also need to isolate them. This means keeping the new arrivals separate from your current flock for at least two weeks. Doing this means that you can be sure they haven't got any infectious diseases that could harm the rest of your flock. Of course, if your new chickens are your only poultry, this stage can be skipped.
If you do already have chickens that will be sharing accomodation with the new ones, you need to introduce them. Not doing this can lead to bullying, cannibalism and even death.
To introduce them, you can take one of two approaches:
See How It Goes
Chuck the new chickens in with the old ones. Watch them constantly for about an hour or so, and if all of the old chickens are attacking the new ones, then take out all the new ones, and proceed with the "softly softly" approach. If there are only a few chickens picking on the new ones, then remove them and use the "softly, softly" approach.
Softly, Softly
This consists of letting the chickens see each other, but not being able to touch each other. Put the new/aggressive chickens in a coop and run by the rest of the flock. Make sure that they can see each other through the wire, and have separate coops etc. Leave them like this for a couple of weeks, and then "see how it goes".
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