buying hens first timer

[nicko2k1]

hi ive be asked to a poultry auction this week to buy my first set of chickens im lookin for 2 rhode island reds and 1 lights sussex but will i expect to pay and what do i need to look for tp make sure she not an old bird i looking for eggs from them

 

[peepkeeper]

Around 20 dollars or so, maybe less. Look at their eyes and nostrils to be sure they're clear, flip them over and look at their butts, vents should be clear without large amounts of poo sticking to them. When you pick the chickens up they should feel heavy, not light and bony. Open their wings and look under their "armpits" where the feathers are thin, skin should be clean with no parasites. Leg scales should be closed and smooth. Combs should be bright red. Overall appearance of alertness and health. Puffed up in a corner is not healthy. Ask how old it is, chickens over 3 years old usually start slowing down laying eggs. An older chicken will have a whiter beak and legs as the yellow fades.

 

[Buckguy20]

Depends somewhat on where you are located. In central Oklahoma today they were selling from $12 to $15.

 

[tiki244]

Like peepkeeper said see if they are healthy. Pick up and try to move their breast bone if it is pliable then they are under 1 year old. you should be able to get 3 fingers lain between their pubic bones under their vent-that means they are laying. If they are young ones it probably doesnt matter if they are laying because they will lay and for a longer time.
They have more color in their combs and legs and stuff when they havent been laying so long. I dont know about flipping a chicken over, it seems like they might put up a fight.

My motto is if they look clean and the seller is ok in your book then its a good bet.
In Wisconsin we pay about 5 bucks. If a bird is molting or not laying it will in the future if it looks healthy and fit.