Buying Chickens
This is a guide to buying chickens- based on what I have learnt over the last year through experience and from reading countless articles.
Gut Instinct
This is a totally unscientific thing to say but...One thing I have learnt that if a new chicken comes home and after 3-4 days you have suspicions that it might be one of 'those' i.e. sicky chickens...you should listen to your gut instinct and take em back! The chickens that I thought were not quite right (even though I was a total newbie at the time)... ended up being sick almost all the time adding to my anxiety levels (when I thought chicken keeping was supposed to be simple). In the end, it was really sad because after 5 months of extra special care and love Snow (white Silkie) and Lola (black and white splash Polish) had to be put down as they got progressively worse to the point of no return. In Snow's case, the underlying cause for consistent weight loss were unclear but she had a distinct tremor through her body. This was apparent at purchase time and I have come to think she had an avian virus. Snow eventually lost function of her legs and it was horrible and incredibly sad to watch her flap to her food at the very end. She also had gotten so thin that I knew that no more could be done and the vet put her to sleep. Lola always seemed a bit cooky in nature and slow to figure out where the food/ water was. She would also have trouble connecting with her food and so I was always checking to see if she was eating. I would give her treats separately from the others as she often would get spooked by other chickens being near her or miss out because she was slow to eat up. Her cooky nature really grew on me though and she would always come when called and loved a cuddle- I do miss her. I found Lola with a damaged eye one day which didn't respond to treatment and this become a middle ear infection (according to the vet). The infection meant her neck was bent, she couldn't walk properly and was unlikely to recover and was put to sleep as a consequence.
Gut instinct also applies to the people you are buying from- if you are unsure of their trustworthiness or are not happy with the state/ quality of the chickens that they are offering and keep then do not feel obliged to buy. Always inspect and then buy. If you can ask around regarding reputation of the breeders you plan to buy from. My experience with the feed/produce store chickens is that I am unlikely to purchase again from a feed store as they get from many breeders and chuck em in together in a pen. Then its a matter of luck as to whether they pick up diseases from each other or not. It is not to say that chickens from good people won't die either- my Midnight was from a lovely lady and I would buy again from her- I think Midnight picked up Snow's disease because essentially the symptoms looked the same and Snow had been in the coop for almost 4 months prior to Midnight arriving.
Okay having gotten that out of the way...
How do you select a healthy chicken?
If you've never handled chickens or need visual aids then you'll want to have a look at some videos (see below) to get an idea of what you are looking for or take along a knowledgeable friend.
Here are the basic things to look for:
1. Observe the flock/chicken for a while- can you see any chickens breathing with their beaks open (a bit like panting)? If its a really hot day, perfectly healthy chickens might do this but less likely in the shade. But usually chickens do not walk around with beaks open. Can you hear any sneezing/coughing in the flock? If you do this could be signs of a respiratory bug in some chickens. Usually respiratory illnesses are highly contagious so do not buy.
2. Pick up your chosen chicken (if it hasn't already been caged for you)- unless the chicken is laying and doing the SQUAT- catching a chicken should not be easy even in e.g. an enclosed run. An alert and quick thinking chicken is really what you want in the long term. Unless the breed is less inclined to run away, a chicken that is easily caught vs its counterparts could hint at something wrong (in my case Lola and Snow fell into this category). Once you have your chicken examine it for the following things (and don't feel shy about it! I did feel awkward but it is what you should do each time and I now know that):
Remember that if one chicken is sick, it is very likely that the entire flock is infected. So if you decide to bring home a healthy looking/sounding one from the potentially sick flock, there is a good chance that it will a) get sick and pass bug to your existing flock or b) not get sick but still pass the bug to your existing flock even if you follow quarantine procedures. Of course your existing chickens could be immune or get over it but why would you take the risk and heartbreak of losing your flock? Not to mention the costs....
Another point to consider: Try to buy at least a pair of the same breed together as chickens need chicken friends and someone to huddle with on cold nights. It is probably better to buy a trio just in case something bad should happen to one...I have come to this conclusion because I have observed that in my mixed breed flock my chickens prefer the company of their own breed and prefer to roost next to their own on most nights. During the day they will typically forage together as well. This means that if I lose one of the pair of hens- there is the potential for trouble... Recently I lost one of my Silkies. I would like the remaining Silkie to have another Silkie friend but I can't get any. So Marmalade is alone. Duke, the Silkie rooster does his own thing so he is not much of a companion. Also there is the matter of introducing a new chicken to the flock to consider as well...
Excellent videos to help you with buying chickens:
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-buy-live-chicken
http://www.howcast.com/videos/399067-how-to-buy-chickens/
This is a totally unscientific thing to say but...One thing I have learnt that if a new chicken comes home and after 3-4 days you have suspicions that it might be one of 'those' i.e. sicky chickens...you should listen to your gut instinct and take em back! The chickens that I thought were not quite right (even though I was a total newbie at the time)... ended up being sick almost all the time adding to my anxiety levels (when I thought chicken keeping was supposed to be simple). In the end, it was really sad because after 5 months of extra special care and love Snow (white Silkie) and Lola (black and white splash Polish) had to be put down as they got progressively worse to the point of no return. In Snow's case, the underlying cause for consistent weight loss were unclear but she had a distinct tremor through her body. This was apparent at purchase time and I have come to think she had an avian virus. Snow eventually lost function of her legs and it was horrible and incredibly sad to watch her flap to her food at the very end. She also had gotten so thin that I knew that no more could be done and the vet put her to sleep. Lola always seemed a bit cooky in nature and slow to figure out where the food/ water was. She would also have trouble connecting with her food and so I was always checking to see if she was eating. I would give her treats separately from the others as she often would get spooked by other chickens being near her or miss out because she was slow to eat up. Her cooky nature really grew on me though and she would always come when called and loved a cuddle- I do miss her. I found Lola with a damaged eye one day which didn't respond to treatment and this become a middle ear infection (according to the vet). The infection meant her neck was bent, she couldn't walk properly and was unlikely to recover and was put to sleep as a consequence.
Gut instinct also applies to the people you are buying from- if you are unsure of their trustworthiness or are not happy with the state/ quality of the chickens that they are offering and keep then do not feel obliged to buy. Always inspect and then buy. If you can ask around regarding reputation of the breeders you plan to buy from. My experience with the feed/produce store chickens is that I am unlikely to purchase again from a feed store as they get from many breeders and chuck em in together in a pen. Then its a matter of luck as to whether they pick up diseases from each other or not. It is not to say that chickens from good people won't die either- my Midnight was from a lovely lady and I would buy again from her- I think Midnight picked up Snow's disease because essentially the symptoms looked the same and Snow had been in the coop for almost 4 months prior to Midnight arriving.
Okay having gotten that out of the way...
How do you select a healthy chicken?
If you've never handled chickens or need visual aids then you'll want to have a look at some videos (see below) to get an idea of what you are looking for or take along a knowledgeable friend.
Here are the basic things to look for:
1. Observe the flock/chicken for a while- can you see any chickens breathing with their beaks open (a bit like panting)? If its a really hot day, perfectly healthy chickens might do this but less likely in the shade. But usually chickens do not walk around with beaks open. Can you hear any sneezing/coughing in the flock? If you do this could be signs of a respiratory bug in some chickens. Usually respiratory illnesses are highly contagious so do not buy.
2. Pick up your chosen chicken (if it hasn't already been caged for you)- unless the chicken is laying and doing the SQUAT- catching a chicken should not be easy even in e.g. an enclosed run. An alert and quick thinking chicken is really what you want in the long term. Unless the breed is less inclined to run away, a chicken that is easily caught vs its counterparts could hint at something wrong (in my case Lola and Snow fell into this category). Once you have your chicken examine it for the following things (and don't feel shy about it! I did feel awkward but it is what you should do each time and I now know that):
- Lift its wing a little and put its body to your ear and have a good listen. There should be no rasping or rattling as it breathes just clear sound of breathing and nice beating of its heart.
- Smell its breath. Weird as it sounds- do it. If the chicken's breath stinks- then its probably sick.
- Check its beak- the top and bottom portions should meet nicely. There should be no overhang or de-beaking.
- Check its eyes- they should be bright and clear and when you bring your finger near (not touching)- there should be a blink.
- Check its legs and feet (including number of toes)- legs should be nice and smooth. If they are rough and have raised scales then the chicken might have a case of scaly leg mite. Avoid buying then. Check the number of toes is correct for your breed especially if you plan to breed from your chicken.
- Check feathers to ensure that they aren't breaking and are in good health. Also check the base of feathers at the skin for lice and mites. I have found that the base of the neck and the vent are usually good spots. Google for great pics on what these critters look like and more information on what a severe infestation looks like.
- Examine its comb and wattles- they should look healthy and not dry. A young pullet will have pink comb and wattles whilst a laying chicken will have deep bright red ones. However a very pale comb/wattle could mean the chicken is anaemic e.g. due to lice/ poor diet.
- Feel the breast bone or keel of the chicken. It should not feel sharp and bony. There should be 'padding' i.e muscle on either side of the central bone. If it is bony then this is an indication that the chicken is not eating/losing weight (this was also Snow's problem at time of purchase- I just didn't realize it then). Remember that whilst young pullets are less meaty than more mature chickens- they still should not have any sharpness to the keel bone.
- Also had I done the examination properly I would have felt Snow's tremor immediately! So also don't buy if the chicken has a tremor or purring.
Remember that if one chicken is sick, it is very likely that the entire flock is infected. So if you decide to bring home a healthy looking/sounding one from the potentially sick flock, there is a good chance that it will a) get sick and pass bug to your existing flock or b) not get sick but still pass the bug to your existing flock even if you follow quarantine procedures. Of course your existing chickens could be immune or get over it but why would you take the risk and heartbreak of losing your flock? Not to mention the costs....
Another point to consider: Try to buy at least a pair of the same breed together as chickens need chicken friends and someone to huddle with on cold nights. It is probably better to buy a trio just in case something bad should happen to one...I have come to this conclusion because I have observed that in my mixed breed flock my chickens prefer the company of their own breed and prefer to roost next to their own on most nights. During the day they will typically forage together as well. This means that if I lose one of the pair of hens- there is the potential for trouble... Recently I lost one of my Silkies. I would like the remaining Silkie to have another Silkie friend but I can't get any. So Marmalade is alone. Duke, the Silkie rooster does his own thing so he is not much of a companion. Also there is the matter of introducing a new chicken to the flock to consider as well...
Excellent videos to help you with buying chickens:
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-buy-live-chicken
http://www.howcast.com/videos/399067-how-to-buy-chickens/