Help me decide: chicks or pullets?

[GirlsHuntToo]

If you want to " bond " with chickens - getting them to be friendly toward you and following you around everywhere you go and such and such... I would go with baby chicks. When you purchese pullets from a hatchery or breeder - they are known to be extremely flighty. Beacause they were raised in such large amounts - each individual bird hasn't got much attention from humans and doesn't have that Backyard Chicken kind of attitude in them... in a way of speaking.
I would personally choose baby chick because they grow up around you and will be much more friendly than started pullets.

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

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.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I was hoping to hear from some folks who prefer starting from pullets. Most people seem to prefer chicks, but maybe this forum is a little biased because of course people who love chickens would rather start with chicks. I've owned and fostered a few dogs but have never raised one from puppy-hood and don't have a desire to. I feel the same way about chickens. The chick care overwhelms me a bit and I think I would rather start with pullets if they are still at a "trainable" age.

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

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

I do not have a brooder set up, so I'm trying to decide if I do want to invest time and money into making one especially if I am only planning to raise chicks just this year.

 

[fluffycrow]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I was hoping to hear from some folks who prefer starting from pullets. Most people seem to prefer chicks, but maybe this forum is a little biased because of course people who love chickens would rather start with chicks. I've owned and fostered a few dogs but have never raised one from puppy-hood and don't have a desire to. I feel the same way about chickens. The chick care overwhelms me a bit and I think I would rather start with pullets if they are still at a "trainable" age.

Well then, take it from someone who predominantly raised POL pullets for 10 years. You can have the same bond with either rearing technique. I'd argue that getting pullets makes for a more balanced relationship, since the birds are not so dependent on you, while still enjoying your presence

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

Well then, take it from someone who predominantly raised POL pullets for 10 years. You can have the same bond with either rearing technique. I'd argue that getting pullets makes for a more balanced relationship, since the birds are not so dependent on you, while still enjoying your presence

When does a chick become a pullet and when does a pullet become a hen? I imagine it would be easier to create a bond with younger pullets than older ones.

 

[fluffycrow]

When does a chick become a pullet and when does a pullet become a hen? I imagine it would be easier to create a bond with younger pullets than older ones.

A pullet is a female chicken under one year of age. A hen is a female over one year of age. It may be a little easier to bond with the younger birds, but both are absolutely doable

 

[ILoveDaffy]

One thing to consider, is that baby chicks will be more likely to pass away suddenly and with no warning, and that sexing chicks is not always accurate. Sometimes you get a bad batch with more cockerels than pullets, in which case you have to see if the roosters are nice and get along with your toddler and each other and possibly give some away. With pullets, you know what you are getting. And they are closer to Point of Lay, which makes them calmer to hold and pick up.

 

[RedwoodCoastChick]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I was hoping to hear from some folks who prefer starting from pullets. Most people seem to prefer chicks, but maybe this forum is a little biased because of course people who love chickens would rather start with chicks. I've owned and fostered a few dogs but have never raised one from puppy-hood and don't have a desire to. I feel the same way about chickens. The chick care overwhelms me a bit and I think I would rather start with pullets if they are still at a "trainable" age.

I replied way back in the thread about my very happy experience getting 6 of my 8 chickens as pullets from Heritage Pullets in Montana. All six are more friendly and docile than my (now grown) chicks.

The pullets were all different breeds & so had not been raised together at the ranch (so, no pecking order established; they worked that out among themselves in short order), but from their first days with us (and each other) they were adaptable and very soon learned to swarm me for food and treats. That speaks very well of their raising & handling at the ranch; none were scared of me from the moment I opened their shipping boxes.

Of the bunch, the friendliest turned out to be the Buff Orpington, Delaware, Whitings True Blue (blue eggs) and Barred Rock, all fine with being picked up and cuddled, and will climb into my lap for treats. The Rhode Island Red will tolerate handling but prefers to follow me and get way up close to see (and "participate in") whatever I'm doing. The Black Australorp is the least sociable but will squat and let me pet her if I insist. But all come swarming me for hand-held treats. They'll do ANYTHING for mealworms !

The 2 Easter Eggers I raised from 2-day-old chicks were very cuddly when babies (even burrowed into my arms to sleep) but once they feathered out and got to be gawky "teens" they became very flighty & didn't want any handling (though came to me for treats, while darting away from petting). So raising chicks is no guarantee they'll stay sociable. (The other 4 baby chicks I got with them, sadly, started out fine but one by one went lethargic and died -- very sad. Local folks said probably because the spring chicks were being shipped from back east in bitter cold weather so very stressed.)

So, a vote for started pullets here. If/when I expand the flock I'll go back to Heritage Pullets. The family who runs it is very nice & helpful.

 

[Shipgirl]

I do not have a brooder set up, so I'm trying to decide if I do want to invest time and money into making one especially if I am only planning to raise chicks just this year.

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.

 

[Flixflaxnoob]

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.

Lol your breakdown of the work involved may have got me leaning towards chicks. I was going to fashion an old, large dog crate to use as brooder. I'm only planning on 6 chicks right now and would like to time it so that by the time they outgrow the crate, I can just move them outside. I found someone about an hour away that raises chicks with her kids and sells them at various ages. I'm hopeful to get a few from her late March.