Would you and should I buy these chicks ?

[Apolinne]

Hello friends,

I am new to chickens and I want to buy some Japanese bantams. This lady I found sells some Chabo babies and the chicks look good enough, I think (I'm not looking for show birds or anything) but I requested pictures of parents, and I'm not loving what I see. The accommodations look subpar, and the birds don't look super happy either. But I've been told I spoil my flock so maybe this is not as bad as it looks to me. I'm not sure. I'm thinking I can give the babies a better home, but I also don't want to buy sick chickens and loose them or have them infect my original flock with some disease.
Should I buy these baby bantams ? If not why ? I know what to look for in a healthy puppy, not so much in chicken.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have no personal knowledge of Chabo chickens, just what I just read on the internet.

Do an internet search on Chabo Chickens and look at the images. Is part of your concern the wild feathers on the adults. Some of the images show that feathering.

Same with the the ragged appearance of the feathers on the chicks. Those chicks look like they are maybe 3 weeks old. They are feathering out. They have some feathers already in but also still have a lot of down. That look is very common with chicks around 3 weeks old.

I think it is not the feathers but you are not happy with the flooring and bedding. It looks dry, which is my biggest health concern. It's not the luxury that many of us keep them in, I have more bedding than that in my coop, but I don't see anything that concerns me.

If you decide to get them consider quarantining them for a month to see if any diseases or parasites show up. Check them for mites, lice, and worms. I'd suggest quarantine for any chickens of any age other than just hatched chicks from a reliable source like a major hatchery.

 

[Apolinne]

I have no personal knowledge of Chabo chickens, just what I just read on the internet.

Do an internet search on Chabo Chickens and look at the images. Is part of your concern the wild feathers on the adults. Some of the images show that feathering.

Same with the the ragged appearance of the feathers on the chicks. Those chicks look like they are maybe 3 weeks old. They are feathering out. They have some feathers already in but also still have a lot of down. That look is very common with chicks around 3 weeks old.

I think it is not the feathers but you are not happy with the flooring and bedding. It looks dry, which is my biggest health concern. It's not the luxury that many of us keep them in, I have more bedding than that in my coop, but I don't see anything that concerns me.

If you decide to get them consider quarantining them for a month to see if any diseases or parasites show up. Check them for mites, lice, and worms. I'd suggest quarantine for any chickens of any age other than just hatched chicks from a reliable source like a major hatchery.

Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I would definitely quarantine them. They are too small, they'd have to stay inside anyway, it's way too cold outside for babies.

I figured the ruffed up feather on the babies is because they are not super clean probably. What do you mean by wild feathers of the adults ? What is the concern ?

I asked for some better pictures, and the parents don't look so bad on these. I'm puzzled by the pale beige colour around the eyes of one of the hens, I've never seen such colouring. I would expect it to be more red or orange. Could that be a sign of poor health ?

Also, can all black speckled parents have yellow/white chicks ? I expected at least one of the parents to be white with black tail or orange.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

I dont usually buy chickens or chicks from people, because of disease. Considering that the parents arnt over crowded and the pen isn’t disgusting I think they would be find to get.

I asked for some better pictures, and the parents don't look so bad on these. I'm puzzled by the pale beige colour around the eyes of one of the hens, I've never seen such colouring. I would expect it to be more red or orange. Could that be a sign of poor health ?

It could be a sign of poor health, poor food or the hens just arnt getting enough sun. You could ask the seller what they feed the stock and if the chickens have a run they can get out in the sun and to get fresh air.

Also, can all black speckled parents have yellow/white chicks ? I expected at least one of the parents to be white with black tail or orange.

Looking at the parents they should have all mottled chicks but with some not being mottled I would guess the parents are carrying a recessive gene causing some of the chicks not to be mottled. Mottled is the black and white speckles. Considering that u don’t want show birds and just pets their color correctness doesn’t matter in your case.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I figured the ruffed up feather on the babies is because they are not super clean probably.

No, that look is normal for chicks that have partially feathered out. Some feathers have grown in, some have not so they look rough and ragged. To me that's what I'd expect them to look like at around three weeks old.

What do you mean by wild feathers of the adults ? What is the concern ?

Probably me getting confused with those tail feathers sticking up like that. I thought I saw some sticking out on their body. Not a concern to me, I thought that might be what you were looking at.

I asked for some better pictures, and the parents don't look so bad on these. I'm puzzled by the pale beige colour around the eyes of one of the hens, I've never seen such colouring. I would expect it to be more red or orange. Could that be a sign of poor health ?

I just don't know.

Also, can all black speckled parents

Yes, the speckling is a recessive gene which means both parents have to have it for it to show up in the chick. But that is not your question.

have yellow/white chicks ? I expected at least one of the parents to be white with black tail or orange.

First the theoretical answer. Black is a dominant gene so it is possible for a black chicken to have one copy of the black gene at the gene pair with a gene for white or red on the other half of that gene pair. So if both parents have that split at the gene pair it is certainly possible for them to produce a white or red chick. Another possibility. The same idea but with recessive white instead of the split in color.

If either of these were the case then I would expect 3/4 of the chicks to be black. The odds are tremendously against them all being white or red.

Then there is the melanotic genetics in chickens. This one is really wild. I had it in my flock and it was a pain to get out. I had red and black chickens in my flock, I don't know what effect it might have on white feathers. The down would be reddish but when the feathers came in they would be black. It is not the same as regular black, it modifies what would be different colors and changes them to black. I don't see anybody on this forum talking about this so I think it is pretty rare. But it was wild to see red chicks turn black when they feathered out.

For all of the chicks to be white like that I'd expect at least one of the parents to be white. Probably Dominant White. If those are the parents I'd consider it strange.