Proactive Points for Purchasing Poultry

Thinking of adding a few ladies and gents to your flock?  Make sure you read this article to ensure you are well prepared for adding those extras.

Perhaps you had a few casualties over summer, are a first-time chook parent, have discovered a new breed, or you’re just looking for a couple of extra chooks to add to your flock.  To have a proactive approach and avoid problems, here’s a quick summary of what can often be overlooked, even by the most experienced poultry fancier!

What to get?

Firstly, you need to identify what sort of chicken fits your needs best.  Take a look at the below table to figure what your goal is and what you can expect.

 

In summary, if you’re looking for a chicken that will ‘get the job done’ in the egg or meat department, you cannot go past the commercial strains. But, if you’re after chickens for the family, something a little quirky or a bit of bling to jazz up your garden, then a crossbred or recognised breed is the way to go.

 

Sourcing stock

So, you’ve picked a chicken to get, now where should you purchase this chicken from?  And are you going to buy eggs and hatch them or just opt for actual birds?  There are several places, all with their own pros and cons:

Backyard Enthusiasts/Breeders:  This encompasses people from super experienced keepers to those just beginning with poultry.  It’s always best to have a chat and suss out how many years they’ve been breeding chickens for, if they vaccinate their stock, if they are continuously buying/moving stock on, have they had any recent illnesses, how often they undertake parasite testing/control etc. to help you make an informed decision as to what risk these chickens pose to your current flock, and how healthy these chickens are likely to be throughout their life.  Alternatively, hatching eggs can prevent the spread of many diseases to your flock, but not all, as some can be transferred through the egg itself (e.g. Mycoplasmas).

Auctions:  Chickens sold in auctions can vary dramatically in quality and disease/parasite status.  More auctions are emerging that have certain quality controls over the poultry being sold at them and refuse the entry of visibly sick birds, which is a fantastic development for poultry fanciers.  Unfortunately, there are still people out there who incorrectly (whether on purpose of accidently) label young males as hens or bring visibly sick poultry to sales.  I would take caution in buying from auctions if you are just beginning with chickens and seek a professional opinion as to the health and gender of birds that take your interest!  That being said, you can pick up some beautiful chickens from auctions once you get your eye in on what makes a healthy fowl.

Hatcheries:  Buying day old commercial chicks or POL (point of lay) pullets is the gold standard for preventing disease entering your flock.  These birds usually come vaccinated against a range of diseases and have been bred from disease-free parent stock.  The only trouble is there aren’t too many hatcheries in Australia so you may need to freight chickens, and they only usually offer commercial strains, not recognised breeds.

Ultimately, chances are someone in your local community will know a thing or two about chickens, so use their knowledge and get their opinion on poultry before purchasing!

 

How much?

This question all depends on what sort of quality the chicken is that you would like to purchase.  If you are after a rehomed battery hen, you can expect them to be anywhere from $0-15 each depending on their age.  Recognised breeds vary in price from $0-100+ depending on quality and breed rarity.  Your jaw may be on the floor right now, but many breeders have been selecting and perfecting these breeds over a significant number of years, often not making a return on the money they invest into maintaining high calibre show birds or breeders.  It’s a real credit to all those out there breeding recognised poultry breeds as without them, we’d be stuck with very plain looking chickens!  Here’s a breakdown of the different qualities:

 

Show Quality – This chicken is ready for the show ring and will hold its own quite competitively!  If you’re thinking about showing, then this is the right quality for you!  This bird can also be used for breeding.

 

Breeding Quality – Perhaps this chicken has a few little show faults but has the genetics to throw showable offspring.  A good pick if you’d like to do your part in breed conservation.  This level of quality can also be just as expensive as show quality.

 

Pet Quality – Nothing wrong with these chickens, they will make fantastic pets!  They may carry a few too many show faults for the serious poultry fancier or be funky coloured crossbreds.  It is not recommended to obtain this quality if you want to help with breed conservation, but if you’re chasing a couple of hens, these will make a great addition to any backyard!

 

Unwanted Roosters/Ex Battery Hens – Ideal for a loving home, or if nasty, a pot roast rooster!  Be careful of people selling cheap young hens, as they may secretly be offloading roosters to you!              

 

Biosecurity

An emerging area of interest for the backyard poultry keeper is reducing the risk of diseases and parasites entering your flock.  Gold standard would be to keep a closed flock system, not take your birds anywhere, not give your birds access to free range, and not introduce any new birds.  A pretty boring life for you and your poultry!  A more reasonable approach entails:

• Separating newly purchased poultry or show birds for 2-3 weeks (ideally one month if possible) and monitor for signs of illness. These birds can also be given parasite control products.
• Limiting contact with wild birds and vermin through cage design and wire size
• Buying poultry from reputable sources and checking for illness prior to purchase
• Vaccinating your flock for prevention and control of diseases

 

In with the new!

The new poultry are ready to become part of your flock! An exciting time for you, but it can also be stressful as the pecking order needs to be re-established.  There are a variety of methods, but I prefer introducing poultry when you are able to supervise them throughout the day.  Keep in mind that new introductions need space to avoid confrontation with pre-existing poultry, so cramped pens can lead to excessive bullying and even death! To begin with, there will always be some degree of aggressive behaviour, but this will settle down and soon you’ll have a harmonious flock yet again!

 

 

By Breanna Carr, 5th Year Veterinary Science Student.