Where do you all get your chickens?

[ehoneybee]

I was just about to buy day old chicks from mypetchicken but then thought, what am I going to do with chicks in my house for months and then maybe not even get eggs out of them until February (I'm in New England). Ugh. So now I'm looking locally for juvenile birds from farms about an hour or so away from me. Is this a good idea? They seem to be small farms owned by people who also make coops and sell other birds but what if the birds have diseases? I would have to purchase online first and then pick them up when ready this fall. I'd really like to just go to these places, scope them out, and then decide. I really don't want to have birds shipped to me - juveniles cost $200 to mail!

 

[Lamaremybabies]

You could just check craigslist and see if anyone is looking to get rid of some layers or pullets

 

[ehoneybee]

I tried that. No luck. Wouldn't you worry about condition of chicken, though?

 

[sylviethecochin]

If you're willing to scope out the farms before you buy, it sounds like a good idea to me. See if you can find online reviews--I'm told Facebook is a great source--and check out common disease symptoms. Check out the breeder birds, and if they don't let you look, then stay away.

I will say that you're likely to limit your breed choices if you shop locally, but if they've been doing it for a while and are in your area, then the birds are more likely to be resistant to local diseases. Such is the case with honeybees, anyway.

And to answer the original question--I'm not picky. We get ours from TSC and from the local auction barn.

 

[Squeak61]

I recommend local farms, for sure! It supports local families. Also, they will usually give you the opportunity to look them over before you decide to buy some

 

[Lamaremybabies]

I tried that. No luck. Wouldn't you worry about condition of chicken, though?

I mean there is a risk of buying a bird or anything like that off Craigslist but you could also ask to see their coop. I've never gotten chickens off their but I did get my goose off criagslist and he was very healthy.

 

[ehoneybee]

I'm fine with tsc but they don't get chicks until spring and I'd like them sooner.

I'll keep looking!

 

[centralcaligirl]

You could try contacting your local 4H groups and see if any of the 4H families have chickens to sell. A lot of the 4H kids breed and show poultry.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm paranoid about disease issues, and either raise my own chicks, or buy from good hatcheries. I have bought chicks from a couple of good show breeders with no health problems, but never get chicks or outside birds from anyone. It's kept my flock clean for many years! You need to decide how risk adverse you are, and go forward from there. Mary

 

[PennyM]

I got mine from a local breeder. He wasn't quite local as I'm in S. Carolina and he's in N. Carolina but he's only about 1/2 an hour away from me. I wanted pullets rather than baby chicks, though he does have both.