Buying Chickens from Other Flocks

This summer I have done my fair share of buying and selling chickens. My purchases have mainly been for purebred stock like my Dark Brahma pullets.

Dark Brahma pullets

These Dark Brahmas came from a local source not too far from me and at the time he also had four Partridge Cochins that I didn’t buy. That was in June that I purchased the breed and in late July I went back and bought the Cochins also.

I also buy from people that attend chicken swaps. The first swap I went to earlier this year in April I ended up buying two green egg hens and got took at that time because one of the hens never did lay an egg. I ended up selling her at the local auction for money for all the chicken feed she ate. (What does this tell you? Most chickens coming thru an auction are some that you wouldn’t or couldn’t sell anywhere else.)

I attended a swap last weekend and bought two more green egg hens. I called myself checking these out carefully. I brought them home and today is day seven for them and not one egg. Luckily for me I always keep my new stock separate because I determined that there must be something wrong with these hens due to the lack of production and I was right. They have chicken mites.

Here are some suggestions on how to handle new chickens that are new to your property:

1. First and foremost, keep separate from your flock for at least two weeks.
2. If you think to ask, find out the last time the chickens were wormed. If you don’t know then worm them.
3. Dust the chickens. Even if you don’t think they need it, it will not hurt them. I use Sevin dust on mine.
4. While in confinement, watch closely for other types of illness. If I notice anything strange in their poop I usually give them a dose of antibiotics followed with a mixture of plain yogurt, oats, and layer mash.

I have learned through my education of buying, you are more than likely to get better stock by buying from a local grower. I enjoy this type of buying because you get two things, normally a healthier chicken and an education; the owner willingly shows me how they keep their livestock and it gives me an opportunity to view other coops for ideas on improvement in my set up.

As a seller of chickens, I also like to show my coops and holding pens to anyone who wants to see. Most people that buy from me are either new to raising chickens or they are looking for purebred stock. I stay in contact with my buyers if they have a desire and we normally do business again in the future.

Buying from an auction the prices are really cheap; buying from a chicken swap the prices are comparable to those on Craigslist (cheap to moderate); but buying from a flock manager costs a little more but in the long run you are out less money due to not having to rehabilitate the chickens.

At times, even with the best of flock management, you can get an outbreak of disease or parasites within your flock. So I’m not saying that buying from a poultry raiser you won’t get a sick animal but the likelihood is less than at auctions and public sales. So just keep in mind the quarantine practices and it should help to keep your current flock healthy while preparing the new ones for your coop.

Tags: Chickens, flock management