Need some quick help on a desicion here....

[DENALI]

I found a person on craigs list who is getting out of chickens about 5 hours from me. She has about 40 Rhode Island reds 40 Buff Orpingtons A Bunch of Auraucanas (pardon my mispells). They are last march hatch and are all laying good. She is just looking to get out of them as she is having to move and is just looking for best reasonable offer and someone to take them, She made a comment she cant seem to get $5 a bird for them so she just wants a reasonable offer. The only thing that caused me to question is she said for some reason the RIR's are picking at each other and there are allot of naked butts. She doesn't know why and cant figure it out. She raises them all organic and sells the eggs to a local french restaurant and they have plenty of room to roam (sounded like she free ranged them) The buffs are all fine with no problems like that.
Reason i am interested is we can have eggs NOW! I don't have my coop built yet but i have about 20 portable 10x10x6 high chain link panels i could quickly put together a pen and then fab up a quick temp shelter while i build a coop.
I guess i just want some opinions on if i should mess with these or not. Would be nice to be into the eggs already without having to wait for chicks to mature. I am planning a 40 hen flock at max so i thought maybe take 15 RIR's and 15 buffs which will leave me room to grow out some Delawares and sex link.
Thanks for any input i appreciate it greatly.

 

[patandchickens]

I'm not saying what you should do, that's a personal decision, but remember that buying adult chickens is quite likely buying diseases and parasites as well. Whereas raising your own from chicks, what they get will depend more on luck and on how good care you take of them. Just something to figure into your deliberations.

Pat

 

[DouglasPeeps]

I am a newbie, but here is my two cents. I know it is more work to get the chicks as 2 day olds, but the up-side is that you get to handle them and hold them as much as you like. I do know that chickens that are handled a lot seem to be friendlier. I want my flock to be friendly to us, especially to my children.

That being said, I wish mine were laying now.

Don't know if this helps or not. Either way, I think you will enjoy them.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

if they are pecking at butts then they have mites. You can powder the birds when you pick them up and put powder in the sand if they have a place for a dust bath. Its easy enough to get rid of. Buy a book (or get from library) for more info.

I'd get the birds, if they are on the wild side you can tame them easily with food (bread bits)

 

[Katy]

Personally I'd wait and raise your own. I know it's the pits to have to wait for eggs, but your own "home-raised" hens make up for the wait. If they were hatched last March they could soon be going into their first molt which will stop them laying for awhile. I noticed a couple days ago the ones I hatched last March are showing signs of it. I also wouldn't want to haul them 5 hours unless I did it at night and even then it's gonna upset their rythmn and they probably won't lay well for awhile. Certainly your choice, but I wouldn't do it.

 

[DENALI]

I guess if they turn out to be a bust on the egg laying they are both dual purpose breeds

Keep the feedback coming please!

 

[silkiechicken]

She can't get even $5 for them? Maybe that is due to the pecking condition she is talking about? My guess is lice/mites. Pictures would be good to see along with how they are being housed. Then again, not being able to get that price for them could be just a local market thing.

If you do get them, you'll need a safe place to put them and do expect them to have to adjust and it may be a week or two before they start to lay again.

Adult birds do bring risk of disease and paracites.

 

[65browneyes]

I'll share my experience. I knew only that I wanted "about 5 hens", mostly for the eggs. Thought it would be "fun". Gave NO thought to chicks, pullets, or any particulars, just "chickens".

I "accidently" came into chickens when my lab brought the first one home. I couldn't let this be an only chicken, so I got 3 more, ranging from about a year to about 2 years old.

One year and a total of 16 laying hens later, I adopted a mom and her 9 newly hatched chicks. These were my first experience EVER with chicks. I let the hen raise the chicks, I didn't use a heat lamp, I really didn't have a brooder, but we did build a great nursery coop for them.

I loved the instant gratification of having laying hens to start with, and waiting for the little girls to start laying was thrilling.

I'm glad I started with hens that were already laying, they knew what they were doing, and I learned from them (I'd never experienced 'farm life' before, but always wanted to). I worked into the chicks and let their mom do her job.

Now, I'm looking forward to getting chicks this spring. Working up to chicks of MINE has worked wonderfully for me.

So, I guess my advice to you is to do what you are comfortable with. If having chickens is 'old hat' to you, or if it's a brand new experience, it's totally your decision.

But, one thing.........any chance that lady is in Arizona?? I'll take her number and call her myself! LOL

Edited to add, if you do take these hens, you won't need to isolate them because they're coming from the same flock, and you don't already have a flock. I would use something for mites or fleas, etc. I dust all mine with Sevin Dust when I get new chickens (meaning I dust the new ones as well as the existing flock).

 

[Katy]

chicken-mama....I bet they're by Kansas City somewhere.

 

[d.k]

* Only one thing on my mind-- You haven't had birds on your property before, and this flock is an unknown qty. Which COULD contaminate the property for ANY future hens you raise yourself.