Help me decide: chicks or pullets?

[NevadaEmma]

Start with chicks if he is interested in having chickens. !!!

I incubate and sell (or donate to youth groups, 4H, FAA, etc.) Salmon Faverolle chicks. I have had numerous families and repeat families, that want chicks to raise so their children learn to respect and love animals.

Personally I find that I tend to spend more time with the chicks. If you raise them being handled (aka cuddled), they will be more receptive to handling (aka cuddling) than older birds, usually.

Currently I have a little girl in 4H raising one of my extra roosters. He was the gentlest of the 5 extra I had. They have to train their birds to sit upright and still for a certain amount of time for judging. She had just lost her little bantum chick that she was training and was thrilled with the SF rooster of about the same age. (Actually it was Dad who made the decision I think as the little guy just melted in his arms). And Mom was very relieved to have found another chick for her daughter to raise in time for the show in spring.

So those of you who have extra rooster chicks and do not know what to do with consider a donation to a young family or a youth group that raise animals.

 

[NevadaEmma]

If you go for chicks:

Minus the cuddle and just standing there to stare at them cuz they are so cute this is an estimate of time daily:

5 min to change water and make sure they have food
2-5min to check them visually/ health (pasty butt, temp, etc)

I change the chick bedding (wood shavings) about every 3 days, depending on how many I have.

Would need to get a heat source, waterer (go for a larger one- they drink more than you think after 2 weeks), box and bedding. I have a wooden box in my garage. Strongly recommend a heat plate. I have a heat lamp as a backup in case of low temps, but most of the time the plate is enough.

* note: I planned on only brooding one time. Now I’ve had 6 successful hatches and purchased chicks 3 times in 1 year.

Ditto on the heat plate, I have done it both ways. Ditto on the incubation "problem". I even have incubated my goose eggs. Love, love, love little goslings!

 

[NevadaEmma]

Since your only getting 4 to 6, definitely get the chicks. Especially for your son who will learn about the responsibility of caring for animals and it will be a great learning experience watching them grow. A couple of chicks are simple to care for, dont get overwhelmed with all the ridiculous info. Keep them warm and fed. Once a day mash up a hard boiled egg and as you and your child approach the chicks have a simple call like "chick, chick, chick". They will quickly become conditioned to run to you. Best wishes, your gonna love it!

Ditto on the mashed up hard boiled egg, minus the shell. I usually start with just the yolk or half the yolk as soon as a few days old. I would teach them how to come when I called by always using the same unique call just for the egg yolk. Works every time for me.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Whatever you decide, have fun! Chickens are funny little people!

 

[NevadaEmma]

You’re lucky to have people who want the extra cockerels. This isn’t always the case.

Yes, but I find that I cannot find homes for all of them at times.

 

[Sylvester017]

@Flixflaxnoob - You'll soon figure out what works for your chickeneering. Just don't mix bantams in a standard chicken flock cuz the littles will get picked on. We've had White Leghorns, Buff Leghorns, Blue Wheaton Ameraucana (not Easter Egger), Cuckoo Marans, Blue Bredas, Cuckoo Breda, Dominiques, and Silkies.

Our experience is that every standard Dominique (not bantams) we had was from chicks ordered thru our local feed store and those Doms by far were our most naturally friendly breed -- decent medium-size egg layers so if you're looking for a colorful egg basket you may not like their medium tinted eggs. But we absolutely recommend the outgoing, people-friendly temperament of Doms. Starting with extra-care chicks lasts for so short a time they're practically full-grown in size by 3-4 months and start laying after 6 months. Raising Dom chicks is fun cuz the chicks are less afraid than other breeds.

Our next favorite breed are the Silkies. They have gentle temperaments, cuddle as adults if held a lot as chicks, and being a larger bantam breed the Silkie eggs are a decent size.

Our 3 newest DNA sexed Silkie chicks picked up yesterday:

We have had started layer pullets in the past and the chances that they'd be friendly never happened. They were aloof and wouldn't come unless we had treats.

 

[Shipgirl]

Ditto on the heat plate, I have done it both ways. Ditto on the incubation "problem". I even have incubated my goose eggs. Love, love, love little goslings!

Every time they grow up, I’m like, “oh! I have room in my brooder now!”

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

If you're wanting pets I cannot emphasize enough how much of an impact the genetics of the bird is (in terms of lineage and breed) and raising them from chicks. You can get friendly birds from any breed but some are more friendly then others so will more frequently be "lap chickens." If you can acquire show lines of any dual purpose breed, you'll be in a good place for temperaments genetically since they're bred for that over generations. Hatchery birds are not culled and selected for temperaments. My absolute favorite birds who were the most frequently friendly and inquisitive would be well-bred Brahmas, English Orpingtons, and Rhodebars if you can acquire them by chance. I had a very bold and friendly Schjndelaar even after being raised by a hen rather than hand-reared but her brother wasn't and I can't make generalizations based off two birds. I have raised started pullets, chicks from a hatchery, chicks raised by their mother, chicks from show breeder and chicks from rare breed preservationists and I can definitely tell you 1) the way they're raised does matter. My friendliest batches were the ones I spent hours a day with in their first formative weeks. They will retain their friendly traits and calm nature even if they're handled less in adulthood. I could never reach similar levels of friendliness in my started pullets despite dedicating the same if not more time around them. 2) Genetics and sourcing matters. My hatchery birds never reached the same level of friendliness as my well-bred birds even with socialization and time. They may end up being friendly but if you want yard pets that follow you everywhere, jump on your lap and seek out petting, get some well-bred chicks Others may present anecdotal evidence on the contrary but I believe that these two factors are what has lead me to raise some unbelievably friendly birds!

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I've raised both chicks and pullets, and I found there wasn't much difference between temperament. I have a bunch of different breeds, because I, too, wanted different personalities as well as a colorful flock. My first chicks, who are going on seven years now, all turned out quite friendly. My siblings and I spent hours and hours just watching them, picking them up, and letting them roost on our hands. By the time they were laying eggs, I could pick all of them up easily, and they loved it when we fed them handfuls of grass.

The next batch of ten I also got as chicks, (the very next year, because chickens are so, so addictive!) and this one was more of a mixed bag. My Easter Eggers all loved hugs, and one of them would even get jealous if I dared to pick someone else up before her. The Delawares and Wyandottes weren't as friendly, and would run away when I tried to catch them. They mellowed out as they grew older, and I can pet them all now with minimal fuss.

I hatched chicks under a broody hen as well, and these guys aren't as friendly, mainly because the broody didn't want me messing with her babies much. One of them loves to be hugged, but the other two stay far away from me unless I bribe them with food.

I got four pullets, two Easter Eggers and two Welsummers, about a year ago, when they were roughly five months old. In two to three weeks, both EE's and one Welsummer were eating from my hand. Fast forward to now, and the Easter Eggers are both attention hogs. They love being cuddled, and run up to me when I enter the coop. The Welsummers aren't really friendly, but I think that's because they're a flightier breed. I can stroke one of them on the chest when she lets me, but she's not a pet.

To summarize, I'll give everyone's favorite answer, and say it depends. I've had friendly pullets and unfriendly pullets, as well as friendly chicks and unfriendly chicks. Since roosters aren't a problem, you can get unsexed chicks and just get rid of any cockerels you get. But, you will get attached to them, and giving them up is hard. I will say that raising chicks is one of the most rewarding experiences ever. To see this little tiny being grow from one that you can hold in your hand to one that gives you eggs is amazing.

If you get pullets, though, you can just put them directly in the coop, without worrying about brooding them and keeping them warm and all that. They also are less prone to dying with no warning, as chicks can. And, assuming none are cockerels, you wouldn't have to deal with giving them up or having to get more hens to replace all the boys.

Just my 2¢. Though, looking back at the essay I just wrote, maybe more like 22¢.

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

I've raised both chicks and pullets, and I found there wasn't much difference between temperament. I have a bunch of different breeds, because I, too, wanted different personalities as well as a colorful flock. My first chicks, who are going on seven years now, all turned out quite friendly. My siblings and I spent hours and hours just watching them, picking them up, and letting them roost on our hands. By the time they were laying eggs, I could pick all of them up easily, and they loved it when we fed them handfuls of grass.

The next batch of ten I also got as chicks, (the very next year, because chickens are so, so addictive!) and this one was more of a mixed bag. My Easter Eggers all loved hugs, and one of them would even get jealous if I dared to pick someone else up before her. The Delawares and Wyandottes weren't as friendly, and would run away when I tried to catch them. They mellowed out as they grew older, and I can pet them all now with minimal fuss.

I hatched chicks under a broody hen as well, and these guys aren't as friendly, mainly because the broody didn't want me messing with her babies much. One of them loves to be hugged, but the other two stay far away from me unless I bribe them with food.

I got four pullets, two Easter Eggers and two Welsummers, about a year ago, when they were roughly five months old. In two to three weeks, both EE's and one Welsummer were eating from my hand. Fast forward to now, and the Easter Eggers are both attention hogs. They love being cuddled, and run up to me when I enter the coop. The Welsummers aren't really friendly, but I think that's because they're a flightier breed. I can stroke one of them on the chest when she lets me, but she's not a pet.

To summarize, I'll give everyone's favorite answer, and say it depends. I've had friendly pullets and unfriendly pullets, as well as friendly chicks and unfriendly chicks. Since roosters aren't a problem, you can get unsexed chicks and just get rid of any cockerels you get. But, you will get attached to them, and giving them up is hard. I will say that raising chicks is one of the most rewarding experiences ever. To see this little tiny being grow from one that you can hold in your hand to one that gives you eggs is amazing.

If you get pullets, though, you can just put them directly in the coop, without worrying about brooding them and keeping them warm and all that. They also are less prone to dying with no warning, as chicks can. And, assuming none are cockerels, you wouldn't have to deal with giving them up or having to get more hens to replace all the boys.

Just my 2¢. Though, looking back at the essay I just wrote, maybe more like 22¢.

Thanks for sharing! It's really helpful hearing from people who had experience raising both.