Start Right - Do’s and Don’ts!
Buying Chicken Coops and Housing
Do’s!
Buy a coop made from properly treated wood or plastic (Eglus.)
Consider buying coops that can house say 4/6 girls, even if starting with 3, you may want to add on down the line – getting more eggs than you might need, thus give these away to a friend, neighbour etc in return for them putting them away whilst you are on holiday, or away at a weekend etc.
Don'ts
Buy houses with felt roofs – red mite can get between the felt and wood and are then virtually impossible to totally eradicate.
Beware buying cheap (£70-£180) houses off eBay or the Internet – the majority are Chinese imports, made from untreated or soft wood, also have flimsy catches. They will usually fall apart within months. NEVER JUST BUY OFF A PICTURE!
Many of these similar coops are sold by Garden Centres and Pet stores, the staff are almost always lacking in any helpful knowledge.
Buying Birds
Do’s!
Always ask their age. (Point of Lay means they should be around 16- 20 weeks old - and where immunity has built up and they are within a very few weeks of actually laying.
Always ask about vaccinations. ‘Live’ vaccinations administered such as IB (infectious bronchitis) where ‘live’ vaccine is used birds can become carriers, with no symptoms, and can infect other birds.
Buy from a reputable, established specialist organisation. (Well meaning hobbyists which turn into backyard businesses, then can and do, source birds from anywhere, maybe not vaccinated, also mixed together increasing risk of cross infections.
Ask the source of where they have been reared initially as only a few hobbyist businesses will rear themselves and get them as cheap as they can from anywhere.
Consider carefully the implications of buying ex battery hens, often they are aggregated together again with the risk of cross infection. By definition they are mostly ‘spent hens’ meaning they are not going to lay at the rates commercial breeders require and thus you too will not get the same egg laying results.
Do look closely at every bird you buy- do not let them choose and put her quickly into a box or carrier. (Look in particular for clear eyes, clean nostrils and vent. Make sure you don’t detect any ‘coughing noises’ or discharges from the beak. (often a sign of mycoplasmosis or similar.)
We are probably virtually unique in maintaining an on call specialist poultry vet, to prevent any problems and to advise on biosecurity.
Don’ts!
Buy from less than really clean places, tatty backyards or set ups. The state of the premises usually gives away the welfare or otherwise of the girls.
If visiting Garden Centres or Pet Stores unwise to buy birds there, staff generally know absolutely nothing about what they are selling. The birds are usually relatively expensive because of the high overheads. In general there will be little choice and the birds are used as ‘window dressing’ to sell cheap coops.
Don’t totally overdose on website and written information, there are many ‘old wives tales’ which end up giving conflicting and confusing advice at times.
Don’t take websites at face value. It is possible for anyone to make themselves look and sound good and expert! (hence our video ‘farm tour so that you know what to expect when you come.)
On many websites and in local ads people may claim that they are lifelong friendly hobbyists. In truth they can be housing just a very few birds, sourced from anywhere and with a limited choice of varieties.
Most importantly many have varying degrees of amateur knowledge and often maintain poor welfare and biosecurity regimes.
(There are quite a few of these smallish operations in the South East which, from reports and, having visited many, hardly command much respect.)
Graham Page
Golden Valley Poultry
info@goldenvalleypoultry.co.uk
