Chook Me!

who here knows of a good poultry seller that sells full grown hens and roosters?

I want to start breeding chickens, but I want to buy the first pair to start. I want to buy full grown chickens with a good breeding history. I'm having a hard time looking through hatcheries because mostly they have straight runs of 10 or more, or babies. I need just a pair. Bantam breeds is what I'm looking for, the booted and crested kinds.

Public Comments

1. we are selling that type ,but i have to know where you live. we have 2 roosters and 1 hen we are selling.
2. I would check craig's list (www.craigslist.com) A lot of independent chicken breeders advertise in the farm and garden section. Hatcheries won't sell full grown birds, because it costs so much to ship them.
3. You are looking for feather-legged bantams, which are the variety that we breed and sell in Ohio (mille fleur d'uccles and bearded silkie bantams). You probably won't find very many breeders willing to ship, because chicks can ship fine but the stress of transport on adults will most likely result in you getting a box of dead birds. Most good breeders will rotate out stock every year or two to keep genetic diversity in their flock. Have you checked locally for any poultry shows? The national poultry show is in Columbus, OH every year - and when I needed new stock, I actually drove 2 1/2 hours to get there just to do some chicken-shopping! Chances are, there are probably breeders and 4-H clubs right in your area that would be willing to sell birds to you. You can also look for livestock swap meets, trader days and even auctions to get your breeding trio (not a pair - start with 2 hens and a rooster). Also, if you are interested in a particular breed, such as silkies, they do have a breeder club and website. Check out the American Silkie Breeders Association for a listing of registered members who might be close to you. Nearly every breed will have a website and contacts in your area. You might be able to order a few birds and arrange to pick them up or meet a breeder at a show. Hope this helps and feel free to email me if you need more info!
4. The website http://www.uBuilderPlans.com has links for places that sell a few adult chickens. Also I would try http://www.eggbid.com/ which is an online poultry auction site and they sell fancy show chickens there.