I had hoped to get 4 White Chantecler pullets this year but it didn't work out. The breeder is in my state but was almost totally non communicative. I paid my $25/bird up front (which I have gotten back). He didn't answer my July inquiry about the age of the birds (so I could plan). Answered the late August inquiry with "they had a predator in the grow out pen and had to start over, should be good in a couple of weeks". So I made the temporary coop next to the primary coop for integration purposes.
TWO months later, I still had no idea when to expect the birds or how old they were. His response at that time was maybe we would both be happier if he kept them until spring. Um, no, *I* wouldn't be happier with adult birds of unknown age, already laying. Then he says some are still under heat. This was November and means they were FAR from being hatched when he said "should be good in a couple of weeks" back in August. And he NEVER answered my very direct question "how old are the birds now?". For all I know, they hatched the day before he said some were still under heat.
So I guess whatever he would have for me in the spring wouldn't actually be adults if they were no more than maybe 3 weeks old in early November. I asked him to give me my money back, I am not willing to trust this guy anymore.
I even offered to take eight 1 day old chicks in the spring, let a broody raise them and when they reached "guaranteed gender" age, give him back all the cockerels but no fewer than 4 birds (or $25/bird if something happened to them) and he could sell them. 100% profit, no work, I take all the risk of not ending up with any pullets and losing $100 if I didn't have 4 birds to return. I didn't figure he would go for that given he likely wouldn't want them raised outside his "care" and he didn't. But I have to wonder if a Fisher got into his grow out pen, just how secure is it? They would be safer here.
