Solitary chicken - need advice

[Cazx]

I recently visitied Cadbury Garden Center which is nr Bristol, to find that they now sell chickens, ducks, bantams, Guinea Fowl etc.

 

Has anyone purchased a chicken from there? They are rather expensive, starting at around £25! The staff were hopeless (probably cos it was a weekend and only teenagers there), they couldnt tell me how old they were or where they came from.

 

I also wanted to know if bantams and chickens could mix. I was told to look it up in a book!!

 

I felt sorry for the poor things. The walk in run was a good size, but there were quite a few in there. No greenage or fresh air.

 

Do you reckon it is safe to buy from a garden center

[Cinnamon]

Personally,I would always buy from a reputable breeder/stockist rather from a garden centre,who may be just cashing in on the trend,judging by those prices

[Chucky Mama]

I personally wouldn't buy from there. I think is is however important that you feedback your thoughts to the garden centre. Places like this can only improve if they get told what we consider acceptable.

[Unit]

Everything I've read to date suggests that if the seller can't answer simple questions, it doesn't bode well for the chickens you may buy!

 

If I wasn't planning on re-homing ex-bats, I'd be looking far from a garden centre for my hens personally.

[welovemarmite]

WE have two local garden centres that have chickens. One is marginally better than the other. Probelms include, overcrowding, dirty pens, not collecting any of the eggs, obviously far older than point of lay, mislabelled, expensive, no knowledge....... shall i shut up now.

[Gem_Seb]

I went to Cadbury today and whilst im glad to see they have improved the chickens homes and runs its still not as good as it could be. They used to just be kept int he standard runs that come with most houses which is no where near enough space.

 

Today they have proper runs and more space but it looked like they were using straw, the houses looked dirty. The ducks had a little paddling pool which was very dirty water and the guinea foul looked petrified!!

It was also quite smelly as it is all indoors with no fresh air. i think most of the smell was from the ducks but it wasnt really a good advert for people looking to get into chicken keeping..

[Cazx]

Thank you Gem_Seb. It wasnt just me imagining the state of them then.

 

I really think garden centres shouldnt sell animals like chickens, tortoises etc. Who can you complain to though about the conditions etc?They arent young chickens, and the ones I saw, werent in the best of conditions either

 

I just felt like buying them to give them a better place to live than shut in a hot stuffy place like that. Maybe if people didnt buy them form there, they'd loose out on money and stop selling them.

[Redwing]

I cant believe they have them indoors! Cadbury has a good reputation for quality and I'm surprised they dont seem to have thought this through. They have loads of space outside too..

[Lewis]

I'd speak to a manager and see what they have to say.

 

Quite surprised they have them indoors, especially Guinea fowl.

 

A garden centre by us has chickens and they're all labelled wrong (most were labelled as silkies and pekins) and one blatant huge silkie cockerel was being carried round by staff to encourage people to buy it ... as a hen!

[A2chappell]

I bought my two Pekin Bantams form cadbury's last June, both have been fine apart from them both being broody at the moment I have to say when i do go in there i wish i could bring new ones home, its not the best location to keep chickens and ducks. would love to have ducks but my boyfriend has put his foot down to anymore animals at the moment. not sure how long that will last though

[milliemayflower]

I have just visited gardenland Shipley part of the Garden and leisure group.I was disgusted to find that the chickens on sale had been de beaked, and quite badly too.This practise is barbaric and should be banned Please do not buy de beaked chickens from places like this.