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Where can I buy some chickens?

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My 3 year old daughter wants chickens for her birthday (so we can get eggs in a morning) and I really don't know where I would buy chickens from? I'm hoping somebody here can point me in the right direction....

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I have kept poultry for almost fifteen years and used to breed. I would not suggest pekins for eggs. There isn't a large fowl and bantam version, a pekin is a pekin. It is a very tiny bird, not much bird under the feathers. They have feathery feet so need to be kept on a solid floor, clean grass or dry mud free floor. They don't lay many eggs. Eggs are extremely small, half the size of ordinary eggs and they do go off lay a lot when broody.

 

Get a type of bird in mind then buy the right coop and feeders etc first, then get the birds. People will start hatching in the spring. Commercial gingery hens ( lots of names for same hybrid birds) are available all year. Good for beginner but die after about two to three years.

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Agree with chez, pekins are cute but no good for eggs! I would keep a few good layers, either hybrids or pure breeds such as cream legbar, welsummer, leghorn, light sussex or rhode island red (there are others!!). Hybrids such as warrens, whitestar or bluebelles are good too.

graves park farm has young birds for sale or check pre loved. Be careful though as there are many people who will sell older birds as younger. You ideally want them about 18 weeksish.

check out all the kit you need first though :)

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I have had chickens up to this year, we went to stoors Poultry at Oxspring. Chickens are great and it is lovely to get eggs fresh from home, I would recommend getting two or three to begin with. However they only lay 6 out of 7 days normally and not always in the mornings. You will need to ensure there coop is fox proof and if you allow them free range of your garden they will destroy it. Also if you go on holiday someone will need to come and let them out in the morning and put them away at night plus feed them and collect the eggs (if you have good neighbours they will probably do this in return for the free eggs). You also need to factor in the cost of buying a coop, feeder, water bowl and feed. Like any pets do your research before you buy. I would also avoid Perkins, hybrids will be better and are better layers. You should ask for point of lay hens when you purchase them.

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I wouldn't bother asking for point of lay as most people don't understand the term or use it incorrectly to mislead, as does the above website. Most people say it's an age not a stage but that's wrong. There is a massive difference in point of lay. It also changes depending on the time of year you hatch. If you look at the poultry club of great Brittain or expert breeders they will give you the correct definition. It's when the hen is about to lay. This is when the wattles and comb grow and get red and their pelvic bones open up. You can tell a birds laying status by feeling the distance between its pelvic bones (around its vent).

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Storrs Poultry might not be the prettist place but the hens we got from there were healthy and all excellent layers

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I didn't like the chickens kept in cramped barns with little light and wondered what became of the ones which didn't get sold. All had been beak clipped (only needs to be done in cramped conditions) and one had been cut way too short and bled for weeks after I got her. One was very very ill and I had to take her to vets and give her a course of antibiotics in the week after I got her home - she was very close to dying - storrs offered to replace her but I decided to stick with her. Have heard a lot of other similar stories which I won't repeat as they aren;t mine! I understand Storrs isn't particularly bad in the scheme of things but I'm basically against mass, industrial breeding of any animal as these are the sort of problems which naturally come with it.

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Fresh start for hens, best hens we ever had! Saved them from the chop x

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