Quick answer
Poultry in the UK typically cost £5–£150. PetTrader lists them from licensed breeders, private sellers and rescues, with 10 breeds guides, prices, locations and health details on every advert.
Keepers of poultry in Great Britain must register their birds with APHA — since 2024 that includes keepers of a single hen. Check the current avian influenza housing rules and biosecurity requirements before birds arrive.
Not every practice sees birds. Register with a poultry-friendly vet before you buy so you have support for worming, red mite, respiratory illness and emergencies.
Birds need a dry, well-ventilated house, secure fencing against foxes, enough space per bird and species-appropriate feed. Point-of-lay pullets are the easiest start; hatching eggs need an incubator and a plan for surplus cockerels.
Poultry typically sell for £5–£150 in the UK. Price depends on the breed or variety, health testing and registration paperwork, the seller's location and the time of year. An advert priced well below the band for its breed is one of the most common signs of an unlicensed seller or a scam.
| Breed | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Silkie Chicken chicks | £15–£50 |
| Orpington Chicken chicks | £20–£60 |
| Rhode Island Red chicks | £12–£35 |
| Pekin Bantam chicks | £15–£45 |
| Light Sussex chicks | £15–£40 |
| Call Duck ducklings | £20–£60 |
| Indian Runner Duck ducklings | £20–£50 |
| Pygmy Goat kids | £150–£400 |
| Nigerian Dwarf Goat kids | £200–£600 |
| Alpaca crias | £500–£3,000 |
Point-of-lay hybrid hens usually cost £15–£30 each, rescue ex-commercial hens a few pounds, pure breeds and bantams £20–£60, and ducks and geese £20–£150 depending on breed. Housing, a secure run and feed are the bigger long-term costs.
Yes. In Great Britain all bird keepers must register their birds with APHA, however few they keep. Registration means you receive disease alerts and housing orders during an avian influenza outbreak.
At least three. Hens are flock birds and a single bird kept alone will be stressed and vulnerable. Three to six hybrid hens suit a typical garden and will produce plenty of eggs for a household.
A good hybrid layer produces around 250–300 eggs in her first year, tailing off each year afterwards. Pure breeds generally lay less but live and lay for longer, and all hens slow or stop while moulting and in deep winter.
No. Hens lay perfectly well without one — a cockerel is only needed if you want fertile eggs for hatching. Many local authorities and neighbours object to the noise, so check before keeping one.
Use a solid house locked at dusk, weld-mesh rather than chicken wire, and either a dug-in skirt or a full walk-in run. During an avian influenza housing order you must keep birds under cover and follow the biosecurity rules issued by Defra.
View the animal in person at the seller's own home before any money changes hands, keep all messages inside PetTrader so there is a record, and never pay by bank transfer, gift card or crypto to someone you have not met. Every PetTrader seller completes a photo-ID and live selfie check, and verified accounts carry a badge, and you can report an advert from the listing page.
Selling rather than buying? Identity-verified private sellers get their first advert free, and the first 200 businesses and breeders get 12 months free. See all poultry for sale, read where to advertise poultry in the UK for the costs and legal rules, or rehome a pet you already own.
