Chickens for Sale - How to Look After Hens When You Get Them Home

Where to buy chickens.

Over the last few years it has become increasingly popular to have a few chickens in the garden, time has reversed to the 50's and 60's where it was the norm and now things have come back to how they used to get. It seems many families have come back to poultry keeping for the opportunity to have their own fresh eggs.

There are many places where you will find chickens offer for sale; it is quite common for people to buy in hens from large pullet growers in larger numbers and to then sell them to the folk in smaller numbers but at a greater price.

When buying chickens it is always important to ask the supplier where their hens arised from, if they can not give you a sensible answer then you should look elsewhere.

The best place to buy chickens is from the premises who reared them initially, here you will manage to see the conditions of the poultry and what variety of life they have had up until "Point of Lay".

When purchasing the birds you need to check they have nice clean clear eyes, clean backside and no lice or mites.

When certainlying going to the poultry rearing farm would deserve seeing if it is a mess or is kept tidy, a messy farm will usually mean the stock will not be maintained their best.

You must know how old the hens are; chickens are usually purchased prior to they start their laying career at "Point of Lay", this will mean they are between 16-21 weeks old.

For the small poultry keeper the very best chickens to buy are free-range reared. Free range reared chickens will have been allowed outside the building at the youngest age as soon as they are fully feathered and not require the warmth and safety of the poultry house.

When you get the chickens home they ought to be places in the coop and allowed to stay there for a few days to allow them to settle in and learn where home is.

A good layers ration in the form of either layers pellets or layers mash must be given so they always have access to food. Water must also have access to good clean water 24hrs a day.

Chickens also need Oyster shell and grit; this can be acquired very easily and cheaply.

The oyster shell is to give the birds a good supply of calcium for bones feathers and eggshell strength, the grit has to be capitulated small amounts to the bird to enter into its gizzard which then uses the grit to grind down the food a which aids digestion. Pebbles and oyster shell usually come mixed together and could be purchased from most country stores.

Lastly you will ought to keep an ocular on mites and lice which can effect poultry, a methodical dusting of a red mite and lice powder every 4-6 weeks should help.

Chicken continuing is easy, and they are the most productive pet possible laying up to 320 eggs in their first year.

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