How to Buy a Healthy Chicken
How to buy healthy chickens for your flock. Signs that indicate illness or inadequate care can mean that the people you are trying to buy chickens from have not taken care of them properly and could result in you purchasing chickens that are unhealthy. Check out the following tips for buying healthy chickens.
How to Buy Healthy Chickens. Photo by CHOE 2019
Know the breed characteristics:
Once you have decided to buy chickens, you will need to know what breed of chickens you are looking for to suit your needs. Knowing the breed characteristics can help you determine if a chicken you are wanting to buy is healthy.
Don't buy sick chickens:
Never buy a chicken which appears ill, listless, making gurgling sounds, has loose feces, a pasty butt, watery eyes, raised leg scales, missing feathers, red spots or yellow patches on skin under feathers, or obviously injured chickens unless you are prepared to take care of it's medical needs which could get very expensive.
Select Active Birds:
Choose chickens who are alert and active. If possible, on adult birds, look inside the birds mouth for any discoloration, white spots, or yellow discharge which could indicate that the bird is sick. Birds who are listless, inactive, or not responsive may have underlying health issues. If there are sick birds in the flock it is best to get your birds elsewhere.
Ask for records
Responsible breeders will keep records on each of their chickens which will reveal the birds hatch date or approximate age based on when the bird was acquired, vaccination dates, any medical conditions that the bird has been treated for and what medications were used. Records should also include how often the bird was treated for parasites and what treatment was used. Unfortunately, many backyard chicken owners do not keep records for their chickens so you will need to use your best judgement.
Quarantine new flock members:
Keep new chickens separate from your existing flock for at least 30 days so you can watch for possible signs of sickness or disease.
Ask for a live video tour or an actual tour of the chickens and their living environment:
The best way to find a healthy chicken is to visit the place where the chicks or adults are raised and hand select them. Unfortunately, this is not always possible due to the fact that many conscientious chicken keepers now practice Biosecurity and are skeptical about letting people drive up on their property due to the fact that many chicken diseases can be spread from tires on vehicles which have possibly been on farms which may have been exposed to various poultry diseases. Some people do not care because they only keep the chickens long enough to sell them. Other more conscientious chicken keepers will make you park off property and wear shoe coverings, face masks, and clothing covers or apron while on the property selecting your chickens. Most people can now do live video tours to show you their chickens and their coop.
Things to look for while touring the chicken's environment:
While on video tour or actual tour of the coop watch for dirty bedding, dirty roosts, green or dirty waterers, and dirty feed dishes. If the coop is a little dirty that is pretty normal but signs of built up feces mean the coop is not regularly cleaned. Green or dirty waterers could mean the birds may have coccidiosis or may get it soon. Dirty feed dishes mean the feed dishes are contaminated with feces which can also make the birds sick.
Buying chickens through the mail:
There are a few dependable hatcheries that do mail order chicks but there are also some complications which could end up in dead chicks arriving at your door, as a result, many people are opting to hatch baby chicks. Baby chickens and adult chickens often die during mail order processes due to temperature changes and rough handling and most hatcheries will replace the chicks or refund your money.
A reputable hatchery will keep track of weather conditions and will not ship when temperatures are too hot or too cold.
Once you have decided to buy chickens, you will need to know what breed of chickens you are looking for to suit your needs. Knowing the breed characteristics can help you determine if a chicken you are wanting to buy is healthy.
Don't buy sick chickens:
Never buy a chicken which appears ill, listless, making gurgling sounds, has loose feces, a pasty butt, watery eyes, raised leg scales, missing feathers, red spots or yellow patches on skin under feathers, or obviously injured chickens unless you are prepared to take care of it's medical needs which could get very expensive.
Select Active Birds:
Choose chickens who are alert and active. If possible, on adult birds, look inside the birds mouth for any discoloration, white spots, or yellow discharge which could indicate that the bird is sick. Birds who are listless, inactive, or not responsive may have underlying health issues. If there are sick birds in the flock it is best to get your birds elsewhere.
Ask for records
Responsible breeders will keep records on each of their chickens which will reveal the birds hatch date or approximate age based on when the bird was acquired, vaccination dates, any medical conditions that the bird has been treated for and what medications were used. Records should also include how often the bird was treated for parasites and what treatment was used. Unfortunately, many backyard chicken owners do not keep records for their chickens so you will need to use your best judgement.
Quarantine new flock members:
Keep new chickens separate from your existing flock for at least 30 days so you can watch for possible signs of sickness or disease.
Ask for a live video tour or an actual tour of the chickens and their living environment:
The best way to find a healthy chicken is to visit the place where the chicks or adults are raised and hand select them. Unfortunately, this is not always possible due to the fact that many conscientious chicken keepers now practice Biosecurity and are skeptical about letting people drive up on their property due to the fact that many chicken diseases can be spread from tires on vehicles which have possibly been on farms which may have been exposed to various poultry diseases. Some people do not care because they only keep the chickens long enough to sell them. Other more conscientious chicken keepers will make you park off property and wear shoe coverings, face masks, and clothing covers or apron while on the property selecting your chickens. Most people can now do live video tours to show you their chickens and their coop.
Things to look for while touring the chicken's environment:
While on video tour or actual tour of the coop watch for dirty bedding, dirty roosts, green or dirty waterers, and dirty feed dishes. If the coop is a little dirty that is pretty normal but signs of built up feces mean the coop is not regularly cleaned. Green or dirty waterers could mean the birds may have coccidiosis or may get it soon. Dirty feed dishes mean the feed dishes are contaminated with feces which can also make the birds sick.
Buying chickens through the mail:
There are a few dependable hatcheries that do mail order chicks but there are also some complications which could end up in dead chicks arriving at your door, as a result, many people are opting to hatch baby chicks. Baby chickens and adult chickens often die during mail order processes due to temperature changes and rough handling and most hatcheries will replace the chicks or refund your money.
A reputable hatchery will keep track of weather conditions and will not ship when temperatures are too hot or too cold.
What To Look For When Choosing A Healthy Chicken
Healthy Chicken Photo Rhode Island Red hen on a stump by Cindi Perry
Chickens should have good plumage with no missing feathers, clean legs with no raised scales, vent area should be clean and dry (a trimmed vent area can mean the previous owner took good care of the bird or that the bird may have had pasty butt or feces clumps which were clipped off. You can tell the difference by looking at the skin under the feathers, especially, in the vent area where there should be no signs of redness or red spots which could mean recent parasite infestations or bacterial infections. Nasal passages should be clear, dry and clean. Comb, wattles, and ear lobes should be undamaged, and bright red for most breeds but color can vary depending on the breed. Eyes should be clear, bright, and alert. Look inside the birds mouth or ask for a photo of the inside of it's mouth, if there is any cheesy substance or lots of phlegm, do not buy the bird. Feel the birds body underneath the feathers to see if the bird is fat and healthy. If breast bone is jutting out and/or the bird feels underweight do not buy it. Feel for knots or lumps under the skin. If any lumps are present do not buy the bird as the lumps could be tumors. Toenails should be neatly trimmed and filed. Toenails that are too long can develop fungal infections. If the bird seems otherwise healthy you can buy it and file the toenails yourself.
Things you should watch out for:
Signs of illness-Take a good look at the birds. If you see black crustiness, pale combs or wattles, runny nostrils, lifted scales on the legs it is a pretty good indication that the birds need some type of treatment (See Chicken Illness-Symptoms & Treatments)
Living conditions-No chicken coop is going to be 100 percent spotless. Chicken feces can be expected. If you do get to tour the living conditions in person before you buy them, watch out for damp or wet living conditions and stinky chicken coops. A little odor is fine but a strong stench indicates poor coop maintenance or illness.
Water-If water is nasty or green it indicates that the owners of the chickens either have the water sitting in the sun or do not maintain the water properly.
Feed-If feed is moldy it indicates that either the chicken breeder has a poor feed supplier, damp living conditions, or does not properly clean and maintain feed.
Activity-Chickens should be active and lively especially when visitors are around. If you see birds who seem listless, pale, and just sitting around even when approached, it's not a good sign. How active a chicken is may depend on what breed they are and their age. Some breeds are active and aggressive, some such as Bantams are passive and easily handled. Some like to be handled and some do not. All breeds will respond to you depending on the amount of time and attention that you give them. Much like children. Activity levels are greatly reduced during extreme warm or cold temperatures. However, if a chicken is ill or mistreated they will often become very inactive. You want to choose a chicken that is bright, alert, and active.
Scroll down to see possible signs of illness in chickens you may be planning to buy.
Things you should watch out for:
Signs of illness-Take a good look at the birds. If you see black crustiness, pale combs or wattles, runny nostrils, lifted scales on the legs it is a pretty good indication that the birds need some type of treatment (See Chicken Illness-Symptoms & Treatments)
Living conditions-No chicken coop is going to be 100 percent spotless. Chicken feces can be expected. If you do get to tour the living conditions in person before you buy them, watch out for damp or wet living conditions and stinky chicken coops. A little odor is fine but a strong stench indicates poor coop maintenance or illness.
Water-If water is nasty or green it indicates that the owners of the chickens either have the water sitting in the sun or do not maintain the water properly.
Feed-If feed is moldy it indicates that either the chicken breeder has a poor feed supplier, damp living conditions, or does not properly clean and maintain feed.
Activity-Chickens should be active and lively especially when visitors are around. If you see birds who seem listless, pale, and just sitting around even when approached, it's not a good sign. How active a chicken is may depend on what breed they are and their age. Some breeds are active and aggressive, some such as Bantams are passive and easily handled. Some like to be handled and some do not. All breeds will respond to you depending on the amount of time and attention that you give them. Much like children. Activity levels are greatly reduced during extreme warm or cold temperatures. However, if a chicken is ill or mistreated they will often become very inactive. You want to choose a chicken that is bright, alert, and active.
Scroll down to see possible signs of illness in chickens you may be planning to buy.
Look for signs of illness when buying chickens
When choosing a chicken it is important to look for signs of illness.
Some Signs to watch out for are:
Some Signs to watch out for are:
- Moisture or crustiness around breathing holes
- Crustiness around vent area
- Sores or brown or gray crustiness on feet or bottoms of feet
- Lack of activity or movement
- Droopiness of head and neck
- Bald patches
- Lifted scales on legs
- Pale comb and wattles
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