Help me decide: chicks or pullets?

[fluffycrow]

Well yes, and no. I am one to babble, so pardon me if my attempts to make this chunk of text comprehensive, yet understandable, fail miserably . It all depends on where you get your birds from. Someone might not be breeding for the proper breed temperament, and as such their birds will not follow the typical temperament of their respective breeds. That being said, even within a breed, you will see differences between your birds. Some will be more dominant, some more submissive, some more laid back, and some complete clowns. The differences will not be great, but they will be present and very obvious to the keepers. Even within different breeds, you might have similar personalities and temperaments. Take for example the ISA brown hen that up until this September ruled (under the watchful eye of their male) my biggest flock, and her third in line Tsouloufati hen. Both of them were very aggressive birds, not very fond of human contact, although one was much more tolerant of me. This kind of breed mixing would be more successful than mixing different breeds with different personalities. Putting silkies in with ISA brown is a disaster waiting to happen. The placid nature of the silkie would be their detriment. If it is simply a variety of personalities what you are after, I would strongly recommend you go with a single breed. I promise, after spending some time with them you will notice differences. I would also recommend you stick to breeds that look alike, but people will disagree with me on this. I cannot undermine their experiences, just share what has worked for me during the past decade; and what has worked for me the best, is having a single breed in each coop. The groups are more unified, and there is much less bullying

 

[JedJackson]

That is a tough one. On the one hand, raising chicks is such a rewarding experience, especially for kids. But it is much more work, you risk getting males, and things can go wrong. If you or your child are not prepared for a possible death, since not all chicks make it, then I would go with pullets. Ideally young pullets, 6 to 12 weeks old. But even older hens can be friendly. It's a matter of earning their trust.

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

Well yes, and no. I am one to babble, so pardon me if my attempts to make this chunk of text comprehensive, yet understandable, fail miserably . It all depends on where you get your birds from. Someone might not be breeding for the proper breed temperament, and as such their birds will not follow the typical temperament of their respective breeds. That being said, even within a breed, you will see differences between your birds. Some will be more dominant, some more submissive, some more laid back, and some complete clowns. The differences will not be great, but they will be present and very obvious to the keepers. Even within different breeds, you might have similar personalities and temperaments. Take for example the ISA brown hen that up until this September ruled (under the watchful eye of their male) my biggest flock, and her third in line Tsouloufati hen. Both of them were very aggressive birds, not very fond of human contact, although one was much more tolerant of me. This kind of breed mixing would be more successful than mixing different breeds with different personalities. Putting silkies in with ISA brown is a disaster waiting to happen. The placid nature of the silkie would be their detriment. If it is simply a variety of personalities what you are after, I would strongly recommend you go with a single breed. I promise, after spending some time with them you will notice differences. I would also recommend you stick to breeds that look alike, but people will disagree with me on this. I cannot undermine their experiences, just share what has worked for me during the past decade; and what has worked for me the best, is having a single breed in each coop. The groups are more unified, and there is much less bullying

Thanks for sharing your experience! In terms of keeping the peace,I have also heard it would be better to have similar looking birds, or at least make sure one does not stand out.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I would suggest to go for chicks. You can raise them from the start and get them used to seeing you every day—this is not a thing you will get to do with started pullets, as they are suddenly sent to a new location and that can be a stressor on them, which can make them more flighty than a chick you can raise yourself. Do not be expecting all of the chickens to be "pets," as they are prey animals and they certainly know they have to be cautious of everything. A lot of chickens see a human grabbing them as dangerous. Again, with chicks, you get to handle them every day at an early age compared to started pullets, which you don't get much of a chance to "bond" with them. If you are not wanting any cockerels, then you should either get started pullets or get a breed that is autosexing. And, remember one big important thing: chickens are prone to diseases, predators and random injuries; if your kid can't handle death, then don't get chickens, since they tend to die easily.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I would get pullets. If you’re careful where you get them from, you can get ones that are already tame or are a tame breed.

 

[buttersbrood]

Hi!
We have 4 children and we've both handraised chicks inside and watched our broody hens hatch and raise several lots of chicks. It's a great thing to do with children. Our youngest was 2 when we started. You teach and show them to be gentle, snd they'll copy you. The chickens (especially the docile breeds) are very tame now. We raised orpingtons, silkies, pekins, a Barnevelder, Rhode Island red, Araucana and a speckled Sussex. All are fantastic, docile pets.

Go for it and have fun!

 

[Galway Girl]

I think

Help me decide if I should be getting chicks or pullets. I have a 4yo who is very eager about getting chickens. He is very gentle and loves little animals. We've been watching a lot of videos on caring for chicks. We are new to this hobby and only planning on 4-6 hens. I am starting to get overwhelmed by the care involved, but still excited to embark on this journey. I was initially leaning towards chicks more so they would bond easier with us, especially my son. How easy is it to get the same bond if starting with pullets? What other factors should I consider when making this decision?

Definitely chicks. I think Pullets are great if it's more of a business wanting eggs quickly,selling etc. For me I feel chicks getting to know you,your voice recognizing your faces,spending time ,makes them so tame and allows a real bonding experience. While in a brooder before they're old enough for a coop, he'll just need to be supervised and rules set. But when 4-6wks,if it's sunny out,you could have a little fencing/ playpen-like set up where they could explore the grass and he could be in the center while they get to know one another.Hands on is important but in the early days,they need a constant temperature to stay warm so that time with them should be limited.

 

[Chickenpapa77]

Get chicks. I noticed people mention similar looking chickens, but in my opinion size and breed temperament are more important than similar looks. My barred rocks hop on my lap every time I sit down. I had an EE that liked to hang but not to the same extent. I have a SLW that liked to sit on your shoulder until she got too big. I have a mixed flock from 0-10yrs of age consisting of a mix of birds I raised from chicks to birds I inherited at 1.5yrs old. There is a big difference in starting with chicks but even some of the inherited older birds warmed up to me and like to hang out. On the other hand, some chickens are like people and they are just jerks no matter what.

Spending time with them and treating them like a dog will go a long ways if you want a pet chicken. All my chickens know their names and come when called. In fact some of them are too clingy and I have to be really careful where I walk and closing doors behind me.

Invest time in your setup so it is easy for you and the chickens. It will payoff down the road.

 

[Shipgirl]

Help me decide if I should be getting chicks or pullets. I have a 4yo who is very eager about getting chickens. He is very gentle and loves little animals. We've been watching a lot of videos on caring for chicks. We are new to this hobby and only planning on 4-6 hens. I am starting to get overwhelmed by the care involved, but still excited to embark on this journey. I was initially leaning towards chicks more so they would bond easier with us, especially my son. How easy is it to get the same bond if starting with pullets? What other factors should I consider when making this decision?

If you have a good brooder setup, then it really only is 10min of work a day on average

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

Help me decide if I should be getting chicks or pullets. I have a 4yo who is very eager about getting chickens. He is very gentle and loves little animals. We've been watching a lot of videos on caring for chicks. We are new to this hobby and only planning on 4-6 hens. I am starting to get overwhelmed by the care involved, but still excited to embark on this journey. I was initially leaning towards chicks more so they would bond easier with us, especially my son. How easy is it to get the same bond if starting with pullets? What other factors should I consider when making this decision?

The truth is small chicks are the cutest, but will require more care. Each chick or pullet will have it's own personality. Some will "tolerate" handling others not so much. I prefer getting pullets fully feathered out. The way to a chickens heart is through their stomach. I train them from the start with boiled white rice (no salt!), on a white paper plate, and talk to them calling "chick, chick,chick treats for the girls" . Eventually they associate you and the plates with FOOD. Now 3 years later when I let them out of the run to forage around the yard and woods and call them they come running to me and follow me back into the run. I place the plate with rice down on the ground inside the run and just go close up the gate. Of course there is usually one that is reluctant to leave the spot it was in. 98% of the time the magic works. LOL They seem to trust me and some even squat in my presence. Like I'm the Alpha (rooster), usually grab their tail and gently give it a shake. They get all fluffy and walk away. LOL They will follow you around and talk to you in a friendly voice. I think they are just looking for treats. Cute as they are remember they are evolved from dinosaurs. I just had to throw that in there.