Don’t buy chickens before reading these tips

Important Considerations When Buying Chickens

Don’t buy chickens without doing a little homework first.  If you are in the market for new chickens, congratulations! It’s an exciting adventure. Whether you are looking for new chicks or mature egg-layers, starting a new flock, or just adding to your collection, here are some important things to keep in mind.

Where to buy chickens

Local farms

Local farms are a great place to get chickens. They are generally reasonably priced, and the chickens are usually already acclimated to your local climate. You can ask around or keep an eye on local papers or bulletin boards to see if local farms have chicks to sell.  

If you have a state or county fair that features livestock and other animals, you may just meet some nice chicken farmers who are not only local, but may become a helpful resource to help you choose the right breed of chicken.

Farm stores

If you have a local farm supply store, they will often have chicks for sale in the spring. You can also get chicken supplies while you are there.  We purchased our chicks from Wilco and Tractor Supply.  In most farm stores, the baby chicks are usually found in large feed troughs where they can stay safe, warm and well fed.  The store will usually be very clear about one fact:

identifying the gender of the baby chicken is about 90% accurate.  This is called “sexing” and it’s important to have a plan in case you end up with one of the 10% that are males.  The first clue is usually the size.  A male may grow quicker and larger.  The final clue is when you hear the first rooster crow in the morning.

Next to a farm, your local farm store is an excellent source for baby chickens.  Typically, you will find the most popular breeds.  These include some of the best egg layers as well as the most sociable personalities.

Mail order

Mail order gives you the benefit of getting the specific breeds you are looking for.  Online shops have nearly every breed of chicken, including rare and

hard-to-find breeds. However, there are some risks associated with mailing chickens, so keep that in mind.  The baby chicks are shipped right after they are hatched and may go up to 72 hours without any food or water.  

While they can survive, other factors such as rough handling, extreme temperatures and delivery delays can make the transportation process a lethal experience for the young birds.

Postings on the internet

You can always look at Craigslist or other sites to find chickens for sale. This method can be risky, because you can’t always trust the information in the listing, and it’s not always clear why the seller is getting rid of the birds. Be very cautious with these listings, ask lots of questions, and see the birds and their current living conditions before you buy one.

A better way to find chickens for sale online is to join online communities of people who keep chickens. Many communities have Facebook groups or the like, and you can not only potentially find chickens through these connections, but you may get some helpful tips and make new friends as well!

How to tell if a chicken is healthy

Always check a chicken thoroughly before you buy it, and make sure it’s been living in clean and healthy conditions. If you’ve ordered a bird online, check it the moment it arrives. If a bird has health problems, you don’t want to introduce it to your flock.

Look for the following:

• Eyes should be bright and clear; they shouldn’t have any discharge, be droopy, or have excessive blinking. The skin around the eyes should be smooth and normal, not swollen, or red

  

• Nostrils should be clear and clean, with no fluid running from them
• The beak should be even and symmetrical and close fully
• The feathers should be smooth and flat, unless you are buying a chick, in which case they should be dry and fluffy. Check the bird all over for bald spots
• The legs and feet should be smooth, with even plates and no wounds or injuries. The nails should lay flat against the toes
• Listen to the chicken’s chest. Make sure you don’t hear any wheezing, coughing, or rattling with each breath
• Let the bird walk around on its own. It should stand tall and walk without limping. Make sure the head isn’t drooping, and the head or body aren’t shaking

If you are starting a new flock

If you are just starting to keep chickens, the first thing to determine is what breed of chicken you are looking for. Most beginners want chickens that are calm and easy to manage, low maintenance, and lay lots of eggs.  There are probably more than 100 recognized chicken breeds and perhaps as many as 500 if you count the unrecognized ones. 

Your choice of breed should be dependent on your reason for raising chickens.  Some people want to have a steady supply of fresh eggs with no intention of ever eating them.  If you’re starting to think of names for your new hens, this is probably you.  We are also in this category.

The following information is a good starting point for understanding how some of the most popular breeds differ from each other.  You can’t go wrong with either of these choices, so let’s take a look at these perfect starter breeds.

Rhode Island Red

These are the classic egg-laying chickens for a reason. They are resilient, easy to keep, friendly, and great egg-layers.  They are known for being a tough, hardy breed that can handle weather extremes, poor quality housing and low cost feed better than most.  During our first purchase of baby chicks, we made sure to get a Red.  Unfortunately, our Red turned out to be a rooster, so we found him a new home on a farm. 

In years past, our Rhode Island Reds were very social and made great pets.  They would let you hold them on your lap much like a dog.  Getting along with others is another great attribute.  They are non-aggressive, so Reds tend to mix well with other breeds without fighting.  People say you can’t go wrong with Rhode Island Reds and we completely agree.  You can count on getting 200 to 300 eggs per year as well.

Orpington

These birds are famously easy to keep and are friendly and soft. They don’t lay as many eggs as a Rhode Island Red, and have a tendency to get broody. 

Orpington’s come in several colors; Buff, Blue, White and Black.  The Black Orpington is often found with deep purple and green feathers. With a rich color and fluffy appearance, they can be quite beautiful.  We have one who was named Jump by one of our grandsons.

Orpintons tend to be very docile, affectionate and easy going.  They get along well with other breeds.  Mixing our Black Oprington into the flock was no trouble at all.  She lays jumbo sized, light brown eggs that are quite distinguishable from the other hens.  Most people say you should expect around 200 eggs per year, but ours seems to producing close to 275.

Leghorn

The leghorns are great egg-layers and don’t get broody. They are well-suited to gardens and easy to keep but

Most leghorns are very active and hard-working.  They enthusiastically spend their days scratching the ground looking for a tasty worm or insect.  Any type of soil will usually accommodate their needs.  Known for being a hardy breed, Leghorns will thrive even in less-than-ideal conditions.  You will likely get close to 300 eggs per year from this breed.

Baby chicks, or adult birds?

Advantages of chicks

• They are less expensive to purchase
• You can socialize them to you early
• You can control their feed and know their health history

Disadvantages of chicks

• More setup cost: you will have to buy a brooder and keep them in your house for several weeks
• More time investment; they are fragile and need extra time, care, and attention
• It takes about 6 months for a baby chick to reach adulthood and start producing eggs
• You may get a male chick

Advantages of buying adult birds

• You are sure of their gender
• Adult chickens can live in the coop immediately
• They are less fragile and require less care
• Mature hens can start laying eggs immediately

Disadvantages of adult birds

• You can’t be sure how old they are, unless you trust the seller
• You don’t know their health or feed history
• They are more expensive than chicks
• They aren’t socialized to you, and may be flighty or unfriendly
• If they come from different places, they may not be socialized to or get along with each other

Conclusion

For a brand-new chicken-keeper, it may be easier, less expensive, and less risky to start with young adult birds. The ideal situation would be to know a local farmer or fellow chicken keeper who wants or needs to get rid of some birds. Then you would have some trust that the birds are as represented, and they would already be accustomed to each other. Keep in mind that people often accidentally or deliberately misstate the age of a hen, and that a hen at just 2-3 years old is well past her egg-laying prime.

Start your new flock with at least 3 birds, and make sure they are healthy before you bring them home. As your birds settle in to their new home, don’t expect spectacular egg production right away; they may need time to adjust. And keep an eye out for bullying or aggression as they get to know each other. But within a couple of weeks, your new flock should have settled in, and your chicken-keeping adventures are well underway.