Where oh where in SW Ontario can I find a few hens/pullets?

[riderbecky]

The decision is yours of course, but I would never buy poultry at an auction. You will be taking a big risk that the hens are still laying and aren't diseased or riddled with vermin.

Have you tried Jason Cain of Performance Poultry near Belleville. I know he's a bit of a drive but his stock is beautiful. I bought 14 pullets from him this spring, 7 SLW, 4GLW, & 3BR. They are all beautiful, healthy, active girls. I didn't lose even one chick, all survived.

I'm expecting eggs from them in the middle of Sept.

Anyway, he has lots of different breeds but I'm not sure what he'd have left as the season is mostly done. Check out his site at www.performancepoutry.com. Another option for you would be to check out craigslist or kiijii or something like that.

 

[Julie08]

I ordered eggs and day olds from Jason as well, 2 huge thumbs up for him and his stock!!!

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Quote:
It's pretty easy to determine the overall health of a bird by examining it yourself. If the comb is pale, small & floppy....the hen is not laying. Handling the bird, can give you the opportunity to check for scaly leg mites, & external parasites. If there is poop in the cage, look for worms. If the bird is listless while handling it, this could indicate other illness. Check the eyes & nose to see if it's runny.

Good birds can be obtained at auctions. You just have to know what to look for. My 2 blue silkies are a prime example of that.

Just remember that all new chickens should be kept seperate from your flock for 2-4 weeks, regardless of where you get them.