Hello! Newbie from Boston area with a question :)

Personally, if I were a brand-new chicken-keeper, I would absolutely not start my new flock with grown birds from several sources for a million bio-security and health reasons. The fact that one of them has their beak trimmed is a red flag to me that they may have been kept in a crowded living situation where beak trimming is done to prevent picking that results in such conditions. Overcrowding lends itself to disease and behavioral problems that are best not brought into your backyard.

I know that you said you don't want chicks but there is a great deal to be said for starting a flock from chicks. If you are getting chickens to have as pets, to acquire them as babies allows you to bond with them and socialize them the way YOU want them to be handled. If you get them already grown, who knows how they were socialized (or not) and whether they will ever warm up to you. You won't know what bad habits they have as pullets until you get them home either (egg eating, feather picking, sleeping in nest boxes, etc.) Day-old aby chicks also don't come with the possibility of carrying diseases from another coop. You can opt to have them vaccinated for Mareks, coccidiosis, Newcastle, etc., which is not a choice that can be made with pullets.

Bringing pullets in from several sources at the same time is really a dice-roll. Group A may be carrying a certain strain of disease that they have acquired an immunity to, which Group B does not have an immunity to and certain diseases (like Marek's) can quickly kill the other group.

That having been said, I'm sure there are plenty of folks who have started their flocks as you describe with no troubles at all, which is great. It's just risky business that you have to go into knowing that it may not work out as you hoped.

I wish you well and welcome you to BYC and the backyard chicken keeping community! Enjoy your new chickens. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BirdIsTheWurd 

Hi, I am just getting started on my chicken journey.

I have a coop, am building a run and gathering supplies. Have been planning this for awhile, but now I find myself in a dilemma, and would appreciate advice.

I do not want chicks, planning to get pullets and start a small flock of 4 or 5.

I have one source who can sell me 19 wk old Golden Comets (not laying yet though). This is tempting because I like the breed and I would get eggs very quickly. 

The other source has 6-8 week pullets available starting in June/July and one of the breeds is the Easter Egger, which was my top choice. They also have Buff Orpingtons and Light Brahma breeds (which I know aren't great layer, but I love the fluffy feet).

I really wanted variety in my little flock and, ideally, I wish I could get a couple of the Golden Comets now and then add a couple more (maybe 2 Easter Eggers and a Light Brahma) later so I could have eggs soon and variety... but I know that's risky from a pathogen standpoint. What would you do?

Any advice appreciated!

(also, the G.Comets have their beaks trimmed... is that something that should concern me?)

 

Thanks!