FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[MyTDogs]

anyone?? anyone? beuller?

I got 3 new birds on Saturday- One laying hen (RIR) about 1.5y and 2 pullets (RIR & a Mix of some sort) about 3-4 months old. The hens were a mess- NO feathers on their rumps many missing tails, etc. The seller told me that he had big roosters in with the hens but he'd sold them last week and the hen's feathers were already growing back. So I chose to only take one of the older hens and the 2 younger pullets. I put them in chicken jail together and last night I came home to find the RIR pullet dead. She was pretty scuffed up with shavings & dirt piled on her. I didn't see any wounds or blood & they had clear eyes & noses and were bright when I got them so I don't know what might have happened. The RIR hen did not seem aggressive towards the smaller pullets though they would avoid her pretty well. I assume that she is the one who scratched up the dirt & shavings around the dead pullet & it died from stress or some unknown condition???

Would you guys call the seller & let him know? Would you perhaps request another bird? I was thinking of giving him the pullet back (since I don't know if the hen killed the other pullet I can't be sure that this one will be safe) and taking another hen instead so they can be in jail together. Does this sound reasonable? Should I have to pay him for another hen? Or would you expect to make an even trade for the birds? I'm just trying to decide what if anything I should do. I'd hate to break quarantine with either of the 2 remaining birds because as I said the hens look just awful & the pullet died mysteriously but I'd also feel really bad if I subjected the other pullet to the same fate....Any thoughts??

Thanks!!

 

[Floridachicken1958]

anyone?? anyone? beuller?

I would call him and ask for your money back cause it sounds to me that you bought some some that were on their last leg of life.Sick or malnurished. JMO If I was to sell someone someone some birds and they died the next day or something and it was nothing you the buyer done wrong well to me as a seller I would give you your money back no questions asked.I don't sell sick birds.

 

[sinkorswim]

I am sorry I didnt respond to your original post,I did see it.I am fairly new here and didnt want my strong opinions to get me in trouble.I kept hoping someone else would answer.
I personally would not buy birds that were in the shape you said they were.I dont care what the sellers excuse is.Those feathers didnt fall off over night.If he truly had too many roosters he knew weeks before it got to the stage where the hens had no tail feathers.To me it just means he didnt care.If he didnt care about too many roosters raping hens to that extent,who knows what else he didnt care about.It probably wasnt just caused by roosters though.My first thought is dirty over crowded conditions.If its dirty then your chance of disease just went up 10 fold.When I go to buy at say a swap meet, I look for great feather condition,shiny glossy feathers,(no missing feathers) and some attempt to keep cages clean.I personally am so put off by someone who throws birds in a cage with no bedding.Nothing like seeing poor birds having to stand in their own waste for hours waiting to be sold.
The second thing is I would have NEVER put an adult hen in with pullets.Unless they were raised together on my own personal property.Too many things can go wrong!You have a hen and pullets who were probably sick and diseased,who were scared out of their minds being in a new place/new surroundings.I dont place chickens together until they are at least the same body size.If there is a fight they would at least have a chance.
I am so sorry you had to go through this.If you can get your money back...then by all means get your money back.I would approach the person about the pullets death.But I kinda have feeling you wont get far.If they offer you a replacement and you want another bird from this person-then that is your choice.
All that being said I can stand high on my soap box but I admit I am almost as guilty.I bought my chickens 2 years ago from a local farm.At that time I thought the owner was uneducated,(pompass) and I thought his farm was dirty.He buys from a hatchery but I also think the hatchery stinks.The birds are representative of what they are supposed to be but not full blooded.I think my jersey giants are more like austrolorps and one is a very light bird while the other is quite heavy.Well its 2 years later and despite the codes in my area I wanted to try having more chickens.I have decided too late in the season to buy from a reputable farm and I didnt want to start with day olds.I went back to that same farm,it was worse than it was 2 years ago.I think hes keeping his chicks in the same washer/dryer cardboard boxes he had 2 years ago.The ammonia smell was strong in the chick shed.Despite what I know I bought 6, 4 week old chicks.I put them in a run next to my adult hens.BAM! You guessed it they had raging coccidiosis and God knows what else.I have now exposed my existing hens as well as my flock of button quail and all the finch in my outdoor aviary.So in trying to save myself time and money I have instead created a nightmare.Everything now has to be on medicated feed or medicated.I am having to change bedding every other day,between all that this is costing me a fortune.And the one bird I wasnt worried about...a sex link (black Star) is beginning to look like a rooster.The farm I bought from-no refunds,no exchanges.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Sadly, there are a ton of bad places out there keeping dirty birds in poor conditions. IMO they are ripping people off by reselling chicks straight from a hatchery at a higher price. No education, no breeding, no knowledge. Stick with my hatching and growing out batches and not being over run.

 

[tigercreek]

Hi everyone, I have openings for 2 pullets or young hens, I am down to 2 (a couple turned out to be roos) and would love to have 4 again. I live in the Bradenton/Sarasota area and was wondering if anyone had a couple of spare girls at least 4 months old who will lay some nice eggs ! Please let me know, I can drive up to an hour away to pick them up if I have to. Would love a RIR , Wyandotte, Americana or an EE but I'll take anything healthy and with good a temperment. Thank you in advance if you can help me out !

Hey Jadnils,
I am in north Manatee, (Palmetto), and may have a few that will work for you. I have a couple of Barred Rock pullets for sure and, and maybe a Delaware that is ready to lay. I know I have some Blue Plymouth rock chicks, and a couple of 1 year old Del hens. I'll have to look tomorrow to be sure what I will let go. I hate to let pullets go, that's why I have so many! ......stan

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I know I will never again buy from a seller unless I can see the conditions of where the chickens are actually raised. Never trust anyone who won't let you at least see the pens.

 

[Floridachicken1958]

anyone?? anyone? beuller?

If they have birds that you see that are beat up cause of them pecking at each other & If you can not see the living quarters of the chickens you are buying.Be very weary of them sellers or do not purchase them birds no mater what they say. I hide nothing from anyone. Me I show my birds living quarters and you can see how the birds are living at all times then that way you know how they are cared for and if they are picked on from other birds.Just the way I sell my birds.

 

[picanins]

Hey Jadnils,
I am in north Manatee, (Palmetto), and may have a few that will work for you. I have a couple of Barred Rock pullets for sure and, and maybe a Delaware that is ready to lay. I know I have some Blue Plymouth rock chicks, and a couple of 1 year old Del hens. I'll have to look tomorrow to be sure what I will let go. I hate to let pullets go, that's why I have so many! ......stan

Oh my WORD you've got Delawares!!! Yay!!!!! If you have any left over for me, I would love some - I'm down the road in Myakka

 

[Floridachicken1958]

Oh my WORD you've got Delawares!!! Yay!!!!! If you have any left over for me, I would love some - I'm down the road in Myakka

Tigercreek has some excellent birds! Only from other poultry buys that I know personally

 

[sinkorswim]

Sadly, there are a ton of bad places out there keeping dirty birds in poor conditions. IMO they are ripping people off by reselling chicks straight from a hatchery at a higher price. No education, no breeding, no knowledge. Stick with my hatching and growing out batches and not being over run.

I wanted to come to you but your page indicated you were done selling for this season.So I went back to Funky Chicken Farm.I am sure you have heard of them