Buying chickens...
Our personal advice:
*First decide why you want to buy chickens, for eggs, for meat, for showing, or simply for pets. That can help you determine what breed of chickens will be best for you. If your new to this chicks are a commitment and they grow very quickly so be prepared.
*Ask and learn before you buy birds from a breeder.
*Check your potential breeder’s knowledge before purchasing birds.
*Ask about their breeding program. How long have you been raising and selling chickens? How often do you hatch and sell chicks?
*It takes years to learn about breeding and raising chickens.
* NPIP certified is always a plus.
*In our opinion good breeders sell quality bird’s v/s quantity of birds.
*For us there is a cycle of breeding Seramas, hatching, grow-out, and then selecting to sell off our excess stock.
*With our standard breed we will hatch to order, straight run only.
*Keep in mind that many breeders of all breeds especially show birds will not sell fertile eggs. If they do sell hatching/fertile eggs and will not ship them and there is a good reason for that. Don’t take offence it just shows that they are a responsible breeder that cares about their birds and breeding program.
*A lot of breeders will sell within their poultry club, at poultry exhibits and shows near you first before they offer to the public. So go check out your local poultry shows. It's a fun experience.
*Be careful when purchasing birds from people… It’s sometimes best to ask advice from and experienced poultry keeper. You don’t want to end up with an older bird that is past her productive years or a bird with disease/health issues. Ask around and see if others have had issues with the birds they purchased from that breeder.
*Remember to quarantine any birds you buy from your other birds for about 2 weeks to make sure there is no disease. You don’t want to risk the health of your already established flock.
*First decide why you want to buy chickens, for eggs, for meat, for showing, or simply for pets. That can help you determine what breed of chickens will be best for you. If your new to this chicks are a commitment and they grow very quickly so be prepared.
*Ask and learn before you buy birds from a breeder.
*Check your potential breeder’s knowledge before purchasing birds.
*Ask about their breeding program. How long have you been raising and selling chickens? How often do you hatch and sell chicks?
*It takes years to learn about breeding and raising chickens.
* NPIP certified is always a plus.
*In our opinion good breeders sell quality bird’s v/s quantity of birds.
*For us there is a cycle of breeding Seramas, hatching, grow-out, and then selecting to sell off our excess stock.
*With our standard breed we will hatch to order, straight run only.
*Keep in mind that many breeders of all breeds especially show birds will not sell fertile eggs. If they do sell hatching/fertile eggs and will not ship them and there is a good reason for that. Don’t take offence it just shows that they are a responsible breeder that cares about their birds and breeding program.
*A lot of breeders will sell within their poultry club, at poultry exhibits and shows near you first before they offer to the public. So go check out your local poultry shows. It's a fun experience.
*Be careful when purchasing birds from people… It’s sometimes best to ask advice from and experienced poultry keeper. You don’t want to end up with an older bird that is past her productive years or a bird with disease/health issues. Ask around and see if others have had issues with the birds they purchased from that breeder.
*Remember to quarantine any birds you buy from your other birds for about 2 weeks to make sure there is no disease. You don’t want to risk the health of your already established flock.