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Shilojo

New to chickens - buying last years chicks

By Shilojo, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

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Shilojo Freshly Laid Egg

Shilojo

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Hi

 

I'm new to all this so am hoping someone might be able to help me with this question.

 

We are going to choose and collect our chickens (hopefully) this weekend, and are very excited. We're mainly interested in some hybrids as we have small children and are new to chicken keeping but the person I spoke to has some pure breeds which we're also going to look at as we are mainly interested in chickens as pets and don't need lots of eggs. The disadvantage is that they will be last years chicks so a bit older than I was expecting and I wondered whether there is any disadvantage in buying older birds.

 

Many thanks for any help or advice

Jo

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miller30 Chatty Chicken

miller30

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Hi if you were to buy point of lay hybrids they would be last year's chicks so no it doesn't really matter . Decide how many you want and get them at the same time then hopefully the pecking order won't be to bad but you do have to watch some purebreeds like Brahma,Orpingtons or bantams as some are no match for a hybrid and won't stick up for themselves but also does depend on the amount of space you have leanne :)

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mullethunter Eggcentric Egluowner

mullethunter

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I bought two of mine at 18 months old and there were no drawbacks. At the same time I got two that were 10 weeks old and although the young ones were really cute the older girls were easier.

 

Also as Miller30 said, last years chicks are POL now anyway. One of mine who hatched about a year ago hasn't laid yet.

 

Enjoy :D

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Cindig Chicken Eggspert

Cindig

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Hi Jo!

 

I'm new to this two - we're had our three hens for just over 2 weeks. Ours are ex-commercial and about 18 months old. I also have two children aged 5 and nearly 3.

 

Your key aim from your hens seems to be friendliness. I guess this will depend on breed, upbringing of hens and the nature of individual hens. Some of the more experienced owners should be able to advise further on this.

 

Our hens are still getting used to us and we are starting to let them free-range around the garden. I have explained to the children that they will peck anything they think is food (they are very interested in my little boy's gruffalo wellies, which seem to look tasty), and I encourage the children not to bend down put their faces up to the hens, just in case. In other words I want them to learn to respect the hens. We get 1-2 eggs per day, and my little girl loves collecting the eggs and giving the hens their treat after school. I think it is great for them to learn to care for animals.

 

I would guess that you would want to ask about how the hens have been brought up, how much they have been handled and how friendly they are?

 

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

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Cindig Chicken Eggspert

Cindig

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Also, the hens are not in the least bit bothered by the children running and screaming around the garden and blazing past the run with brightly-coloured plastic wheelbarrows, bikes, scooters, etc.

 

Although the children and hens do free-range together, at the moment it's mostly easier to keep the hens in the run when the children are free-ranging, and let the hens out when the garden is a bit calmer. Our garden is not that big!

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PixieDust All Knowing Superchicken

PixieDust

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It all depends upon the hen's characters. Certainly they will be quite stressed with a move whether they are hybrids or not. Some hybrids can be very unfriendly as can some pure breeds be. I have been told by a few people it is good for chickens to show some reserve and alertness. Also be aware hybrids can suffer in some cases more health issues than pure breeds. There is some question over how effective the vaccinations are and whether they actually cause more harm than good. I lost a hybrid within a month with illness she was vaccinated against.

 

That said they are lovely but only one of mine is really comfortable with being handled. The other 2 tolerate it which may be an issue with children. Flapping wings really sting!

 

Talk to your contact a bit more and discuss the pros and cons. You know your set up, you know your children and you may find Pekins Bantams or similar may suit better if eggs are not an issue. Ours are pets too but we do eat a lot of eggs and with 3 we only get max 3 eggs a day occasionally less.

 

Nothing wrong with last year's chicks. How old are they?

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Shilojo Freshly Laid Egg

Shilojo

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Thanks for the replies. We weren't sure whether it was better to wait until later on in the year for younger girls but for a variety of reasons it's better for us to start now (it's a bit quieter now so it's easier to start a new routine before we get busier). It's reassuring to know that older birds shouldn't be a problem. We're going to have a proper chat with the breeder in a few days. Even if we don't buy that day then it will be good practice for us to understand what we're looking for. Pixie dust: one of the breeds that we're looking at is a Pekins bantam so I'm glad that you mentioned them.

 

Will let you know how we get on.

 

Thanks again

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mimi5 Chatty Chicken

mimi5

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Hi there :D Just a word of caution........pekins go broody very easily and then don't lay. Also they are a bantam with feathered feet, so need dry floor conditions all year. They are lovely but can be feisty in my experience.

 

Happy chicken hunting :D

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Chickabee Chicken Addict

Chickabee

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I've got the app mullethunter, same thing happened to me with the website. You just click on the photo in your album , then click the link sign (top right). The drop down will give you the options, the bottom one being thumbnails, you just click on it and it automatically copy's ready to paste. Hope it works for you

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