Where to buy hens?

[myfivehens]

I wasn't quite sure which forum to post this in, hope this is right!

We are hopefully going to be finishing up our chicken tractor within the next couple weeks and I'm excited to get our first hens! We are in North GA and we may have a source already but not sure if he'll have any left when we get ready for them, so....where is the best place in north GA to buy hens? TIA!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If you want healthy chickens it is better to buy chicks, not started pullets. That is, unless the place you buy them from is disease-free. There are diseases that render chickens asymptomatic carriers, until they get stressed.

If you are buying from a stranger that isn't a reputable breeder I'd go for chicks from the feed store or a hatchery instead. But they require a heat lamp for 6 weeks unless your weather is very hot (90-95 degrees the first week and decrease by 5 degrees per week until fully feathered, usually 6 weeks).

This is just my 2 cents. (There are diseases that pass thru the egg to the chick also.)

 

[jackhorn01]

Mypetchicken.com doesn't have the big order minimums most hatcheries do. You can also add the marek's vaccine for just 1 dollar per chick.

 

[myfivehens]

Thanks guys! I ended up getting 6 babies from a local feed store, they're all healthy and vaccinated. My neighbor also brought me 2 young bantams and a young rhode island. I was a little leery of taking the chickens because of diseases and stuff but I've visited his chickens several times and he seems to take really good care of them. Everyone seems to be doing fine so far!

 

[BrendaJ]

Hello from Oregon & welcome to BYC. Congrats on your new chicks.

 

[myfivehens]

Thank you!