Backyard Poultry Forum

Hello!
I am about to buy my first chickens - I'm hoping to get four different heritage breed chicks around 6 weeks of age. I was planning to go to Abundant Layers, because they have so many great breeds to choose from, but I saw some negative reviews online -- does anyone have any thoughts on the quality of their birds, and how they are raised?

Colsanjat has a smaller selection, and Just Layed has a great selection - but they are only selling very young chicks at the moment, and as a first-timer, I wanted to avoid the difficulties of day-old chicks... on the other hand, I want them younger than POL as I have young kids, so I want them to be raised to be comfortable with human handling.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Another option I thought could be to pick up pullets from different breeders, but not many breeders vaccinate, and I don't think I could properly quarantine chicks with my existing setup.

Hello there.
Welcome
I’ve had girls from abundant layers in cockatoo. Noting wrong with them. They are still going strong.
Lots of Sussex, reds, etc.

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We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public..

We bought one day olds from Abundant Layers a year ago, and the conditions were a bit grim, (some areas crowded and cramped, with some sick and dying birds birds amongst the healthy ones) but the weather was extraordinary in that we had been experiencing torrential rainstorms and they had had to move birds into dry quarters due to flooding. However, the day old chicks were very healthy, correctly sexed and are continuing well. Both have beautiful temperaments. The bantam sussex has such a terrific temperament that I'm tempted to go back for another.

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Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a tripawd Beagle mix, 2 Pekins, a Bantam Light Sussex, a Bantam Salmon Faverolles, a Bantam Australian Langshan, a Bantam Plymouth Rock, a Bantam Brahma, a Bantam Australorp, a hive of bees and a family of boys.

Also, I suspect most people shop for birds on FaceBook now, rather than here. There are a lot of pages advertising birds of all kinds, and groups dedicated to particular breeds. Unless you approach the clubs and find a breeder directly that way. As to the quarantine issue, that's a tricky one.

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Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a tripawd Beagle mix, 2 Pekins, a Bantam Light Sussex, a Bantam Salmon Faverolles, a Bantam Australian Langshan, a Bantam Plymouth Rock, a Bantam Brahma, a Bantam Australorp, a hive of bees and a family of boys.