My bad experiences with some chicken breeders

[teaton]

I dont know if its just me or if im over exaggerating over the whole thing, but in the last few months i havent had good experiences buying chickens from other people and its very aggravating!

First I seen an ad on local craigslist about young laying hens for sale, went looked at them real quick (because of the condition of the barn and the room they were in) anyways I bought what he had of the rhode islands and I couldnt get out of there fast enough! Well then I got home and looked them over real well only to find 1 with scaley leg mites that I had to treat. A few days later 3 of them had puffy eyes and respiratory illness. They where all treated, but I thought how could someone sell someone else sick birds? Especially knowing I have other birds on my farm that could also get sick? I couldnt do that. Who knows maybe he didnt know. So i told myself im not buying laying hens or older chickens from anyone anymore I just cant risk it!

So let's fast forward to just a couple days ago, a lady had an ad on craigslist boasting about her farm and birds and how theyre not hatchery stock ect. Had me convinced I was driving almost 2 hours away for some real quailty chicks. So I get there and mind you this is a well advertised business, not just someone on craigslist one time selling some hens. The barn was for lack of better words just discusting and covered in poo -your feet slid there was so much all over the floor. Some of the birds were locked in closed dark stalls with no light, it stunk, there were a few dead chickens laying in corners, It was awful! She had already picked me a cage of 7 one month old chicks that came from that barn, then I got 7 chicks from a incubator that just hatched and 9 from a brooder. When I got home and seperated each of then into thier groups, I realized one of the chicks that had just hatched was deformed. Then I realized all the 1 month olds that came from the barn seemed to have some sort of respitory illness. I confined and started treating the 1 month olds but ive already lost 2 and I dont have much hope for the other 3 It is so sad, I hate watching helpless animals die!

Now that brings me to my rant and rave, how can people get away with this? How can you run a buisness treating your animals and buyer's like that? Im not saying im the most perfect person but my coop and barn are cleaned out and layered with new straw at least once a month, and Ive never had a sick bird I didnt buy that way. I just dont get it and im half way tempted to put it out there on a yelp review and have thought about calling someone to investigate the farm. I just dont feel that it is right to sell people sick birds, or falsly advertise your buisness as something it is not, or your birds as something they are not!
What do you think?

 

[QueenMisha]

Ugh, please do not use word "breeder" to refer to people like this. They're the puppy mills of the chicken world and they do not deserve to have the word "breeder" applied to them. It does a disservice to real breeders.

I would see no issue calling the local animal services if the conditions were truly as bad as you say. Though there's not often a lot they will (or can) actually do, even an inquiry might convince her to clean up her act. Beyond that, you might try contacting your local government ag extension; many respiratory diseases are reportable because they pose a potential threat to the local poultry industry, and that could spur them to look into her operation as well.

And yes... it's sadly rather common for people to sell sickly birds. Either because they just don't care, or because "their chickens had a cold" and after a round of antibiotics the sickness cleared up and they assumed it was gone - despite the fact that a cursory google search will tell you that contagious respiratory diseases are treatable but not curable and almost always result in carriers of the disease, who spread it without showing symptoms. This is why quarantine is one of the most essential things to know about raising chickens - to keep other's chickens germs and other people's stupid away from you and your flock.

 

[teaton]

I agree and I didnt think about calling AG -Thats a great idea! Thanks

 

[drumstick diva]

and please no more Craig's list birds and swaps and auctions can be just as bad. There are good people selling birds and you will be on the right track if you see proper coops and runs etc . healthy looking birds that aren't cooped up in dark cages.

Real breeders tend to take the time to explain why a certain bird isn't show stock , etc. Listens to your wants, like pet, or good layer etc. Doesn't just pull out whatever they want to dump on you (like Craig's list).

Also do your part to learn how to check out a bird before purchase - don't wait till you get home to notice goopy eyes, or nasal discharge, pasty butt, etc. etc.

 

[teaton]

Great advise and well taken, i have already decided the next time I want or need chicks, I will spend the money I could have spent buying birds and use it towards buying a good incubator! I hatched 6 with a styrofoam cooler a few months back and I enjoyed that, I shouldnt of sold them!
But hey I learned a valuable lesson!

 

[teaton]

So our problem with the chicks is only getting worse, everyday at least 3 die. I called the Ky department of AG and they said they would preform free necropsy on the dead birds and if something like microplasmosis came back positive that he would then be able to go to her farm and do testing on her birds, he said if it was microplasmosis all her birds and the babies i just bought would have to be euthanized, its sad, its horrible, but i am so thankful i didnt just add them to my flock! Im very angry at the woman who did this to us and i wouldn't want to tip her off by calling now but as soon as its all said and done Im picking up the phone and giving that woman a piece of my mind! People like that, people who run an operation like that are sorry pieces of crap! I dont think they should ever be able to sell again!!!

 

[QueenMisha]

So our problem with the chicks is only getting worse, everyday at least 3 die. I called the Ky department of AG and they said they would preform free necropsy on the dead birds and if something like microplasmosis came back positive that he would then be able to go to her farm and do testing on her birds, he said if it was microplasmosis all her birds and the babies i just bought would have to be euthanized, its sad, its horrible, but i am so thankful i didnt just add them to my flock! Im very angry at the woman who did this to us and i wouldn't want to tip her off by calling now but as soon as its all said and done Im picking up the phone and giving that woman a piece of my mind! People like that, people who run an operation like that are sorry pieces of crap! I dont think they should ever be able to sell again!!!

Good on you for calling the ag department. People who knowingly sell sick birds need to be stopped.

 

[teaton]

I took them 4 birds for a necropsy yesterday, 2 more died today. It is so sad that i cant do anything for them, Im basically just watching them all die. The only thing i can do is nervously wait to hear back for the results. But they promised me they would do something about it, so even if i do end up having to loose all my birds atleast this scum bag wont be able to do this to anyone eles!

 

[teaton]

Results are in and im in tears they all had coccidia, roundworm and 2 types of microplasma one is MS,the other is MG both are reportable and they are now turning theyre investigation to her. Horrid news to say the least, 17 babies are all under 1 month of age now have to be culled

 

[QueenMisha]

Results are in and im in tears they all had coccidia, roundworm and 2 types of microplasma one is MS,the other is MG both are reportable and they are now turning theyre investigation to her. Horrid news to say the least, 17 babies are all under 1 month of age now have to be culled

So sorry for your loss. At least they did not come into contact with your own flock. And imagine how many flocks this will prevent the same thing
happening to.