Chicken newbie -- start with chicks or adults?

[Chicabee19]

I am constantly going over this same question (I don't have mine yet either).

My point in thinking about getting older pullets is the cost of feeding the chicks for so many months as they grow, and not getting any eggs for so long.

So, in conclusion, I'm thinking of getting 2 point-of-lay hens, 2 feathered out pullets, and 2 chicks to start with. The only thing I'm worried about is whether they'll all get along, but I plan to have 2 runs - one on either side of the coop - so I hope that will help keep the older ones apart from the babies until everyone is of a size.

Also, I would recommend getting a good range of breeds rather than a group that looks all the same.

one more thing

I plan to be very careful where I get my birds - a reliable disease-free, pure breed source is very important when not starting with hatching eggs.

 

[walkswithdog]

you lose a lot of socialization if you buy older birds. it does take some time to get a chick to laying age but you gain a lot of rearing knowledge in that time.

There are some terrific BYC ers with BO's theyre a good source of chicks or eggs. Some of the hatcheries have nice BO's. Some not so much, get references here.

Chicks are a better bet than eggs, as you've already noticed.

older stock are at point of lay or laying, if they came from someone who handled them and cared for them well they're a good deal, but the stress of changing homes will sometimes stop or slow laying. They also cost more, because you pay for what they have eaten, one way or the other.

The pros and cons are pretty wide. if you do order more than you need, selling started chicks can recoup what you spent on the whole lot and feed. people like BOs.

i went totally primitive, got chicks and eggs. more time more learning, more skills, more food but darned if i won't know every moment of their lives and much about their natures by the time they're grown. But i'm starting a real flock not just getting a few chickens for eggs. i need to know all this stuff and more.

So, it's up to you but be warned, the addicts here will lure you with adorable photos, and from the moment your fingers touch down, you'll be lost forever.

An inmate here, in the asylum, but it's a nice asylum.....

 

[buckeye lady]

Mypetchicken.com has a three chick minimum. My chicks arrived warm and happy last spring all healthy.

 

[chicken stalker]

I got 4 pullets first because I couldn't wait to get eggs. A couple months later one of them went broody and I slipped some fertilized eggs from a friend under her. 21 days later I have chicks, YEAH! The best thing the hen did all the work!!

 

[AngieChick]

I have heard good things about MyPetChicken. But, even though they will ship 3 chicks they charge a ton more to ship them because of the special handling they will require. It would probably come out to close to the same to get the minimum that doesn't require special handling charges (I think it's 10). Honestly, 10 chicks is not really much more work than 3, and if you raise up more you can keep your favorites and sell the extras to recoup your costs (or just give them to friends like I did) when they are 6 weeks old or so. The only danger is that you will end up keeping more than you originally intended, I have 6 right now and only meant to keep 3. I just couldn't bear to get rid of any of the 6 I have.

Good luck, chickens are really entertaining and very easy to care for.

 

[walkswithdog]

i'm pretty sure ideal does a small order deal... it'snot as cheap as shipping 25, but you can order like seven or ten, the charge the regular price plus a small order fee.

Then again it's late and it might not be ideal, but someone more awake will fix it if i'm wrong... i know a couple of the bigger hatcheries will do small orders.

sorry about the caps computer is dying an ugly slow death. slow being the worst of it.

i tell ya, it's a long wait between now and spring. i want stock from several places already totally done.

it's one of the reason i tried again with partridge rocks, figured i've got nothing better to do until spring, and by march this group will be laying, so i'll have eggs while i sort out who to keep and use and who to sell or cull.

Since i have the space, no downside. And i get a fuzzy fix. That's never bad.

so far ideal, welp and meyer have been cool to work with.

 

[3 sisters farm]

Google, I found a couple of places that would ship as few as 15 chicks right now...it is actually fairly easy to buy/sell chicks on craig list. With young children a chick or a fairly young bird is a good choice...I have kids, but the chicks that I got at 8 weeks or so really are much more friendly.

 

[Chicabee19]

They also cost more, because you pay for what they have eaten, one way or the other.

How much does it cost to feed/raise a chicken from an egg to point-of-lay? Surely more than $10?​

 

[Momo]

If you have the time and the inclination to spend some time with your chicks and imprint them, then I'd say definitely get chicks! They will steal your heart!

 

[HenSpa]

I struggled with chicks or pullets, and got pullets. If I had to do over again, I'd do chicks for 2 reasons: (1) HEALTH issues; I'm dealing with them and am frustrated. You wouldn't have to worry about really bad respiratory illnesses with starting chicks (2) socialness; only the 2 youngest pullets are social; the others, nervous & scared of me, which makes things difficult when I need to handle them.