Where and When to Buy Chickens?

Hello all!

I recently built a chicken coop suitable for up to 4 birds. I would like to purchase birds that have feathered and are ready for the coop. So I have two questions:

1) When is the best time of year to purchase young chickens?

2) Where can I find chickens to purchase in Southern California? Ideally Id like to find rock island reds or leghorns.

Thanks in advance!

Spring is the best time to purchase young chickens because it is warm enough for them and most chicken sellers and hatcheries have the most breed variety at that time of year.

To find chickens (Rhide Island Reds and Leghorns) you can purchase in Southern California, you can ask in your local thread :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/161/california-southern

Hope that helps

tinwhisker said:

Hello all!

I recently built a chicken coop suitable for up to 4 birds. I would like to purchase birds that have feathered and are ready for the coop. So I have two questions:

1) When is the best time of year to purchase young chickens?

2) Where can I find chickens to purchase in Southern California? Ideally Id like to find rock island reds or leghorns.

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

Spring is the most popular. The birds can go outside sooner and there are more available. But really any season could work seeing as you are in SoCal and want juveniles.

There are a lot of options. Chicks you can get at a feed store, from a hatchery, or from a breeder. Juveniles and adults are harder to find - there are some hatcheries out there that will raise them to 12-20 weeks of age but these often come debeaked, not exactly a terrible problem but some people dislike it and it can make eating a bit more difficult. Some backyard breeders may offer them as well, advertising here as well as craigslist and sometimes local poultry facebook groups, but always be careful buying from a breeder, make sure you see their stock and they all look healthy; and be sure to monitor the birds you buy carefully for any signs of illness. A small shameless self-promotion: If for any reason you ever feel like making the road trip, I work at a poultry retail shop out here in NorCal that offers 8 week old and sometimes older started pullets (in addition to supplies/feed). We have Leghorns and Rhose Island Reds several times a year, along with many other breeds.