We're looking for our first chickens...

[dixieland]

We are ready to bring our first pet chickens home! They have a 10 x10 indoor coop which will be closed up at night to keep them safe and sound which is attached to a 10 x 30 fully covered yard with fencing buried 8- 12 inches below the ground to keep them happy and safe during the day when we are not at home, as well as several acres for them to enjoy free range when we are at home....

We would like to start out very small and are looking for 2 Black Copper Maran Pullets, 2 Easter Egger Pullets, 2 Welsummer Pullets and 2 Jersey Giant Pullets. We cannot agree on breeds, so we thought we would start out with our top four breeds..We're looking for birds within a 2-3 hour drive of the Nashville, TN area who are 8-16 weeks in age...These birds will be pets, not livestock for us. We are looking to buy from folks who love their birds also.

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[HBuehler]

howdy neighbor. I'm just North of Lebanon up on the Edge of Wilson Trousdale and Smith. We have lots of chicken nuts in this area.I always suggest a variety to start with until you decide which are for you..you won't know that for sure until you begin to live with them. We have between 200-400 most of the time but getting down for the Winter now...all the chicks are sold more or less

kids had to keep some of their favorites. Unfortunately, we don't have any chicks especially pullets left for Sale.. By Spring you will be expanding though...we know these things

.We started with 6! We have many chicken family here but also have some that are hatched to be sold..it pays the feed bills so we have a combination of pets and livestock but they get the same care and attention as our pets In the Spring we will have
FBCM
Ameraucana in BBS,Wheaten/Blue Wheaten.White,and Silver.
EE's
Plymouth Rocks Barred Black and Blue, Blue/splash, Buff, Columbian Many of these you won't find too many places

White laced red Cornish-Meat birds
Bantam Cochins, Mottled Blue and Black, Millie Fleur and some fun colors
Sex Links Black and Red/Gold
Happy Chicken hunting

 

[oldchickenlady]

Check out craigslist, you may find some of the breeds you want on there. Just make sure they look healthy before bringing them home. Things to look for: bright and alert eyes, good feather condition (shiny and full, not ragged, dull, or picked over), healthy weight and body condition (will have to pick the birds up for this, feel for their breast bone, body should be rounded not angular) having said that, I have to add that young birds will not be as 'filled out' as more mature birds, because a lot of their calories are still going to feather development and growth, so that may be hard to judge. Scales on feet and legs should lay down and be smooth, not raised up and 'rough'. Of course do not take any birds that have any kind of drainage from nostrils, shaking their heads a lot, acting lethargic, obvious deformities, etc. You might also find someone on here who has POL (point of lay) pullets to sell. I have 12, 6 RIR's and 6 BO's and am currently waiting most impatiently for my first egg! Welcome to BYC and good luck with your new birds! Please let us know and include pics when you get them!

 

[dixieland]

Thanks for the great info!!!!! I think we must be pretty close to HBuehler as we're on Hwy 25 inbetween Carthage and Hartsville. I'm guessing you're out by Tucker's Crossroads and the military store?

 

[HBuehler]

I'm not far from Tuckers Crossroads at all...I'm right on the river..Lock Five If you want to come on over sometime and see the birdies.I'm considering selling more Ameraucana's than I first thought as well as a few others.
You will find my ads on Craigslist

 

[oldchickenlady]

Hey Poultry Hollow is out in your area (I think). Outside of Lebanon. Anyway they sell all ages of chickens, I don't know if they have the specific breeds you want, but you can call them and see. Check out their website www.poultryhollow.org. They are NPIP (or whatever the abbreviation is...) certified, also. I wanted to get some Silver Laced Wyandottes from them that were pretty close to the same age as my chickens I already have...DH said "You don't need any more chickens!!" He was right...but I still want them! I want some BLRW's too! Need to do some chicken math tricks on him!

 

[HBuehler]

He's in Carthage.From my own personal experience I wouldn't recommend them..I'm not trying to be negative towards my local chicken people so if you want to know our experience with him PM me and I will tell you..not posting it for everyone...will just say it's not a place for a novice to get chickens.

 

[dixieland]

I appreciate all of your input...I have been researching chickens for the past two and 1/2 years and I am trying to avoid a lot of the mistakes we made when we first started showing and training dogs...That being said I don't intend to show my chickens, they are going to be companions with benefits.....(We love farm fresh eggs, that's the benefit!!!)

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I'm just outside of Murfreesboro and have a blue and red splash EE rooster and a black ameraucana hen I am looking to sell. The boy has just started crowing and trying to be ahem... manly... with the girls. The girl should be just a couple of weeks from point of lay. She is pure ameraucana and will lay a blue egg. He is from an EE mother and an ameraucana father, so he has one blue egg gene and one green. I'm asking $20 for the pair.

In addition, I have a pen of assorted BBS ameraucanas. They are just now old enough for me to guess at gender and I'm still not 100% sure. I don't have pics of that lot just yet. They are all $8 each at the moment.

I know it's not on your list, but I also have two adorable splash silkies that I need to rehome. They are still young and I don't know gender (though I'm guessing one make and one female at the moment). They are adorable and sweet as pie!! Everybody needs a silkie or two, just for sheer entertainment value.

They are $10 each or $15 for the pair. I will work on pictures of those two as well.


Hbeuler has some lovely birds and she is a delightful person. You won't go wrong working with her!

 

[dixieland]

Thanks CityGirl!
Right now my hubby and I have agreed on the "No Rooster" rule. I suspect it will change as we get into this a bit, but at this point we're not looking to breed or anything like that, just have some great fun with a new species of pet!!! Your birds are gorgeous!!!
Hope to meet you one day soon!