What to do when your chickens from a breeder aren't right?

[Terrip598]

I bought a trio of EE last month from a local breeder. She had them in 1 cage together and told me they were 1 cockerel, and 2 pullets. She was selling them because her pen was getting full. I noticed some feather pulling on both hens but their new home was not going to be crowded so I took them. The smallest of the "hens" was given to a friend who wanted an EE chicken. He told me 2 days ago she was crowing. So I offered to give him the other hen. He said no, he free ranges and could always use another roo. The largest of them who indeed was the rooster started crowing last week. So today I go out to feed and hear and then see my remaining"hen" crowing. My question is how do I handle this? I understand its really easy to make mistakes with young chickens.I want to keep the large roo Blue. Would I be considered rude if I asked her to exchange the smaller rooster for a laying hen or pullet of the same coloring? What is the procedure for fixing a "wrong sex" mishap??
Thanks, Terri

 

[HighStreetCoop]

It really depends on the breeder and what promises or guarantees were made, but if I was sold a trio and both hens turned out to be roos, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask to exchange them. Mistakes do happen, but three roos is egregious IMO.

 

[RhodeRunner]

Contact the breeder and tell him/her what happened. Depending on the honesty and policy of the breeder, you may get a response. You can ask (or what and see what the breeder ofers for their mistake) for a refund, hen(s), or an exchange. However, the acceptance of an exchange is unlikely. Due, to health and quarantine purposes, most breeders do not want the risk of bringing fowl back onto their farm.

In the future, birds coming from overcrowded pens ten to be a bad sign. These birds are often underfed (to much competition in the cage) and may have lice, or feather peck.

 

[Terrip598]

I have decided to keep both roos and grow them out. They are uniquely colored Eggers'. But I have learned a valuable lesson and that's part of the fun of keeping chickens. I'm just starting to get my feet wet in in the breeding game. So I'm sure I'll learn more along the way. I quarantine all new birds I think that's just common sense. It also gives the other birds a chance to see them while they are doing their eve free ranging. My layers got the shock of their lives the other day when they wandered over and got crowed at,lol..They all went flying away. So it will be interesting when they learn the boys are moving in.