What questions to ask

[Ladobaze]

What sorts of things should I ask when purchasing a laying hen from someone?

 

[Mrs. K]

Do they show birds - show birds can be exposed to other birds, and possibly pick up a disease. Do they go to poultry swaps - some people buy and sell birds all the time, again, the chance of disease sky rockets.

Do NOT or take anything you feel sorry for, that can be a wreck for your own flock. Anything sniffling, coughing, sunken eyed, droopy, or lethargic, pass on. Ask if they ever have had a problem with lice or mites. Even very good poultry people can get an outbreak of those pests, but ask how they treated for it. Don't go with homeopathic treatments, if you got real bugs, you need real drugs.

Many people do not add strange birds to their flock, the risk is real and not worth it to them. Personally, I have added birds numerous times, but I live in a very rural area, people who have chickens here, tend to be realists about chickens, and will cull sick birds instead of treating birds. We do not have either auctions for poultry or swaps. Most of the people that I have bought chickens from, have isolated birds a long ways away from neighbors. I am pretty confident that my chickens are the only chickens in 15 miles in one direction, and probably 60 to 70 miles in all other.

 

[David61]

Why are you rehoming/selling this bird.
How old is this bird.
What breed.
Did you hatch this bird, buy day old or weeks old...
Do you guarantee your stock.

A question to you.
How many laying hens are you buying?
What do you have now. I saw where you are wanting to net run.
Are you going to build your flock by buying laying hens?

 

[Ladobaze]

Why are you rehoming/selling this bird.
How old is this bird.
What breed.
Did you hatch this bird, buy day old or weeks old...
Do you guarantee your stock.

A question to you.
How many laying hens are you buying?
What do you have now. I saw where you are wanting to net run.
Are you going to build your flock by buying laying hens?

Great questions, thanks! I have 2 and I’ve been told it’s best to have 3 or more. So I plan to have 3 or 4 to start, (so buying 2). Probably going to keep it small for the first year as this is VERY new to me and is more or less a gift for my husband, who won’t be home for a year.