MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
In July this year; I bought three young bantams, Silver Pencilled Wyandottes, from a well-respected breeder and took them home.
They were young (13 weeks I think they said they were) and I've had them maturing over the summer & autumn. During that time I've been watching them develop, and had a sneaking suspicion that they weren't all developing at the same stage, shall we say......
HOWEVER, today, when I let them out of their hutch, one of them was behaving VERY like a cockerell!!!, i.e. chummying up to the hens and dancing around them, and its getting very noticeable that two of the three I bought are developing wattles and combs.
I accept that these fowls were young when I bought them and that the onus was on me as buyer to check the sex (as far as its possible to do so at that age); BUT I can't help feeling I've been had!!
I've rung the breeder and left a message on their answerphone. They seemed good honest people who are genuinely interested in their poultry so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that this was a genuine error.
However, I am wondering what people think so opinions/thoughts please:
Am I entitled to either a refund OR replacement bird (I'm not fussed what breed, just hens is what I wanted). These birds cost £15 each and I'm left with two cockerells which I shall have to cull and are therefore worthless.
IF after we've spoken on the phone, they refuse to either refund or replace, would I be unreasonable to threaten to go to Trading Standards? After all, these birds are "not as described" neither are they "fit for purpose" (but lets hope it doesn't come to that).
They were young (13 weeks I think they said they were) and I've had them maturing over the summer & autumn. During that time I've been watching them develop, and had a sneaking suspicion that they weren't all developing at the same stage, shall we say......
HOWEVER, today, when I let them out of their hutch, one of them was behaving VERY like a cockerell!!!, i.e. chummying up to the hens and dancing around them, and its getting very noticeable that two of the three I bought are developing wattles and combs.
I accept that these fowls were young when I bought them and that the onus was on me as buyer to check the sex (as far as its possible to do so at that age); BUT I can't help feeling I've been had!!
I've rung the breeder and left a message on their answerphone. They seemed good honest people who are genuinely interested in their poultry so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that this was a genuine error.
However, I am wondering what people think so opinions/thoughts please:
Am I entitled to either a refund OR replacement bird (I'm not fussed what breed, just hens is what I wanted). These birds cost £15 each and I'm left with two cockerells which I shall have to cull and are therefore worthless.
IF after we've spoken on the phone, they refuse to either refund or replace, would I be unreasonable to threaten to go to Trading Standards? After all, these birds are "not as described" neither are they "fit for purpose" (but lets hope it doesn't come to that).