hens or chicks or both

[mtullis]

we're so excited to get chicks for the kids tomorrow, coop arrives saturday... but want to get a few already laying hens-wise choice? available to me are... healthy looking 7 month old hens in portland-3 hours away, we're in portland this weekend-they'll have to do the 3 hour drive home or 1 yr old hens-haven't seen-they're an hour away-from what she described-in a junky spot... what to do, what to do!

 

[smallcitychick]

It it were me I would get both

Baby chicks are fun (and my kids are LOVING them) but they pester me every 5 minutes wanting to know when their chicks are EVER going to lay an egg. tee hee. I wish I knew somewhere I could pick up a hen that was already laying. I'm surfing craigslist and the nickel adds looking for reasonably priced laying hens within a reasonable driving distance.

 

[TeamChaos]

I think it makes sense to have hens of different ages so that everyone won't start and stop laying at once, but I'm a novice so my advice comes from my imagination, not my experience