Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Goldie]

Hi - I'm hoping to add to my small flock tomorrow, but being a bit wiser this time around I'm going to do my homework when choosing the new ladies.

 

What should I look for when buying them, health-wise?

 

Obviously not wanting to bring back pets or disease.....lice/mites/scaly leg? Should I look in the coop to check for red mite? Then there's the old wives tales about round not oval eyes for the best layers. And the obvious bright eyed/clean tailed.

 

Please share your ideas on what I should be looking for when buying a hen?

 

Very excited, just want to get it right Thanks

[sjp]

avoid the ones that are trying to hide/sitting around looking sad and the ones you feel sorry for

the ones that are active and busy running around should be fit

think twice about any that have a lot of feathers missing they could have mites but the could also the ones that are always going to be bullied their not necessarily to be ruled out but you need to think about the dynamics of your flock plus how the new birds will/do get on with each other

buying birds from different pens could cause problems to with intros as they won't know each other so that needs to be taken into account if it's your first time with intros

[Chickabee]

Obvious things like asking have they been treated for red mite and when they were last wormed. How old are they, have they laid yet. Check for any mucus. Is it definitely a pullet . Don't want to be snuck a cockerel ! Eek . I think any good breeder won't mind you asking as many questions as you can think of. In fact they should offer the information.

 

I always dust mine with mite powder when I get home anyway.

 

How exciting. Good luck. Let us know how you get on

[Grandmashazzie]

Goodie I hope your breeder is not like mine.I answered an ad asked lots of questions,went feeling very knowledgable and ready to check all ends! He brought me to a very clean farm outbuilding where there was about 60 pol so I started looking,thinking I'll have that one and that one.He sent his wife in to catch me 3 and all hell broke loose.Squawking,feathers flying,she got 3 and put them in a hessian sack and until I got home I had no idea what they were like.That said they are all healthy.PS He has been breeding chickens for years and doesn't bother worming

[coco]

As well as all the advice given above I always say trust your instincts, if in the slightest doubt walk away.

[Redwing]

I agree, trust your instincts and dont buy anything that looks sad!

 

What I would say in defence of breeders is that they will almost certainly not have as high standards as pet owners will have. My birds are healthy but my coops are not sparkly clean or even in very good condition and my birds dont have the most space in the world, I rear a lot of birds in sheds and many breeders will have a similar set up so unless the birds look sick or obviously unhappy (evidence of feather pecking etc) or are in obviously filthy conditions then I wouldnt put too much emphasis on the actual environment they come from.

 

Asking lots of questions helps as you can tell a lot by the answers you get

[Goldie]

Thanks, I'll go with my eyes wide open and see what they're like before bringing them home. They're living free range at the moment so don't know how long we'll be there catching them! Will definitely check each one over.

 

The only other thing I'm worried about is from the photos they look like they're on quite long grass. Having had an impacted crop issue with mine before I knew what troubles long grass can cause....is there any other way to be sure there's no issue than feeling the crops?

 

Not even thought about intros between the 2 new ones.... I'm hoping to get 1 Amber and 1 Bluebell - would you not recommend this if they're in different pens and not already living together?

[Goldie]

Also - how on earth do I know they're pullets not cockerels? They're 16 weeks old.... would it be obvious?

[Redwing]

What breed are they? at 16 weeks you should be able to tell reasonably easily, I can give you some pointers if I know what breed and/or colour

 

Feathersite is very good for showing pics of different breeds and colours at stages of growing up

[Olly]

Also a decent breeder should (if she/he is not sure of the sex) offer to swap them if they turn out to be cockerels.

 

It is very hard when there are 60-odd hens milling about to say 'I want that one' but you should be able to see them once they have been caught, and decide if that's what you want - I collected three a few weeks ago, and was able to hold them and observe them very closely before I took them away. Then again, the breeder I buy from is someone I would trust absolutely to provide healthy birds, and she said she would exchange them if there were any problems.

[Goldie]

Definitely hybrids. Ambers and Bluebells. Possibly might go for a Black rock or Light sussex. Whatever takes my fancy really! Didn't think they'd be anything other than pullets! I'm expecting the combs to be small and pale, wouldn't a cockerel have larger combs by then? I will ask if she will offer to swap. What age would we know?

 

So generally I'm checking for lice, mites, feather loss, a lively hen, 2 in the same pen...

 

Anyone any handy hints on how to choose a friendly hen? Or am I wishful thinking? Will it be one that doesn't run away as fast as the others??

[Redwing]

99 times out of a hundred the person selling commercial hybrids will have bought them in as a batch of guaranteed females - they won't have bred them themselves

 

Commercial hybrids are hatched in large scale hatcheries and the male chicks instantly recognisable (different colour/pattern of colouring) the lucky females then go on to be raised before beimg sold to a retailer

 

Different colour aside there is plenty of time for any covert males to be spotted before you appear with your wallet!

 

The trouble comes when the backyard breeder with little knowledge attempts to create their hybrids, that's when things can potentially go wrong. Very very very few people put there directly selling their own successful hybrids so if the 'breeder' hatched them themselves ask a few questions

[Grandmashazzie]

Goldie I got an Amber Star and she has been broody for past 6 weeks,also a Bluebelle who is most nervous and a Marans that is very noisy.My next lot will be ex batts.My batties were my intro to chicken keeping and when I read and saw pics of people on here's posh girlies I wanted some.I don't think I will get any more,my wee batts have been dear little things,no broodiness,no shouting and handle well.4 of original 10 still going strong.Two years free in Sept.