Looking for new additions

I'm looking to purchase 10-20 hens to add to me flock. I live in Central Alabama. I've only bought 6-8 week chicks before from a local guy. He doesn't have anything right now. I don't want to buy at local auction. Where is best place? Also, thoughts on baby chicks or started pullets.

Can't speak to started hens but some of the large hatcheries (Murray McMurray, Meyer, etc.) still have some chicks available. Pickings are pretty slim in terms of selection but they still have some laying breeds to sell. Seems like November is when they shut down for the season. Hope you find some!

There is just so much I don’t know about your situation; why you want hens, is breed important, what are your general goals, how much experience you have integrating, what your facilities look like, how you manage them, and such it’s hard to get real specific. So I’ll try to be generic.

Get on this thread and chat with your neighbors. You might find someone local that has something acceptable to you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/29002/alabama

The big advantages of started pullets is that you know they are pullets, not cockerels. You don’t have to go through the time and expense in raising them and setting up a brooder. You will get eggs sooner but they will cost you more per chicken.

You might want to consider quarantine any time you bring chickens in, some don’t but some do. If you get chicks from a reputable hatchery the risk of bringing in any parasites or disease is really small, I don’t worry about it. Feed stores are usually not too risky. But chicks or older chickens from any other source carry more risk. I consider chickens from auctions of swap meets really at risk.

You can get sexed chicks from hatcheries but unless you get sex linked chicks you still have a risk of getting some cockerels. If you get chicks from neighbors it’s highly unlikely they will be sexed so you will likely have cockerels to deal with unless you wait until they are a few weeks old.

I think that’s the highlights, at least as far as I’m concerned. Good luck!