Purchasing birds can be intimidating. Where should I buy? What do I look for?
When purchasing birds use a reputable source, a seller with NPIP approval is preferred. When selecting healthy birds look for the following:
- Physical health; feather cover should be even, tight and well-colored
- Eyes should be round, wide open and bright. No swelling around them.
- Vent should be clean and droppings well-formed
- Watch for birds that are stressed, they are at a higher risk for disease
What do I do when I bring them home?
- Quarantine
- Introduce them to your current flock
- Keep the flock healthy
- Recognize signs of illness
- Clean and disinfect the surroundings
- Maintain healthy birds
- Ventilation is important
- Keep area clean
- Practice good rodent and pest control
- Restrict other animals in living area of chickens to avoid cross contamination and spread of virus/illness
- Biosecurity plan—restrict unnecessary human traffic